The Waterfront

Water St.

Tel: (709) 576 8106.

Tracing the edge of St. John’s waterfront, Water Street is the oldest public thoroughfare in North America, dating to the late 1500s when trading first started in the town. Once a brawling wharfside lane of gin mills and brothels, Water Street and Duckworth Street now offer an array of gift shops, art galleries, and some of Newfoundland’s top restaurants.

Harbour Drive, along the waterfront, is a great place to stroll, while George Street is the hub of the city’s nightlife.

East End

King’s Bridge Rd.

Tel: (709) 576 8106.

The East End is one of St. John’s most architecturally rich neighborhoods, with narrow, cobblestone streets and elegant homes. Commissariat House, now a provincial museum, was built in 1836 and was once the home of 19th-century British officials. Nearby Government House, built during the 1820s, is the official residence of the province’s Lieutenant Governor.

The Battery

Battery Rd.

Tel: (709) 576 8106.

The colorful houses clinging to sheer cliffs at the entrance to the Harbour are known as the Battery. With the look and feel of a 19th-century fishing village, this is one of St. John’s most photographed sites. The community is named for the military fortifications built here over centuries to defend the harbor. Local residents used the battery’s guns in 1763 to fight off Dutch pirate ships.

Signal Hill Historic Site of Canada

Signal Hill Rd.

Tel: (709) 772 5367.

This lofty rise of land presents spectacular views of the open Atlantic, the rocky harbor entrance, and the city of St. John’s curled in historic splendor around the town harbor.