St John’s Tourist Attractions (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) Part-1
Italian Explorer John Cabot aroused great interest in Newfoundland (after his 1497 voyage on behalf of Henry VII of England) when he described “a sea so full of fish that a basket thrown overboard is hauled back brimming with cod.” Cabot started a rush to the New World that made St. John’s a center of the fishing industry, and North America’s oldest and liveliest settlement.
Today, St. John’s still bustles with the commerce of the sea: fishing, oil exploration, and the ships of a hundred nations waiting to be serviced. The people of St. John’s are known for their friendliness, a delightful counterpoint to the harsh, rugged beauty that surrounds this historic town.
Exploring St. John’s
The capital of Newfoundland is easily explored on foot. Most of the sights are within a short distance of each other moving east along Water Street.
Approaching by sea offers the best view of the harbor, in particular the steep clifflined passage on the east side where pastel-colored old houses cling to the rocks.
Murray Premises
cnr Water St. & Beck’s Cove.
Tel: (709) 739 8889.
Timing: 8am–10:30pm daily.
At the west end of Water Street stands Murray Premises. Built in 1846, these rambling brick and timber frame buildings are the last remaining examples of the large mercantile and fish processing premises that were common on the St. John’s waterfront. Murray Premises once bustled with the work of shipping cod to world markets.
It narrowly escaped destruction in a huge fire that engulfed the city in 1892, and the buildings mark the western boundary of the fire’s devastation. Now a Provincial Historic Site, the restored buildings are home to a boutique, hotel, offices, and a fine seafood restaurant.
The Rooms
9 Bonaventure Ave.
A major new landmark, The Rooms is a modern facility housing three provincial institutions: the Provincial Archives; the Museum of Newfoundland which charts the province’s history over the past 9,000 years; and the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador which showcases the work of local and national artist.
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