Page 121 - Travel Guide to Canada 2019

NS
A-type vacationers can explore the orderly
vineyards of the agricultural heartland
and the wondrous wilds of the Southwest
Nova Biosphere Reserve within a single day.
A STORIED PAST
Like its scenery, Nova Scotia’s man-made
attractions cover a broad range, from
museums to amusement parks, art
galleries to golf courses. Historic ones,
however, are especially plentiful here
because the region once played a crucial
role in the imperial plans of both British
and French forces.
The star-shaped Halifax Citadel, for
example, is a literal highlight of any trip
to the capital city, and the meticulously
recreated Fortress of Louisbourg lures
history lovers north to Cape Breton
(www.parkscanada.gc.ca/halifaxcitadel;
www.parkscanada.gc.ca/louisbourg ). The
Annapolis Valley, which contains some of
the continent’s oldest European settle-
ments, has even more in store. Witness
Port-Royal, founded by the French in 1605,
three years before they established their
base at Québec City (www.parkscanada.gc.
ca/portroyal ); Fort Anne, a.k.a. “the most
attacked site in Canadian history,” originally
erected in 1629 as an Anglo counterbalance
(www.parkscanada.gc.ca/fortanne ); and
gorgeous Grand-Pré, where politically-
neutral Acadians were forced into exile for
refusing to pledge their allegiance to the
British crown in 1755 (www.parkscanada.
gc.ca/grandpre). the vibrant Halifax Waterfront (www.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Since Mother Nature and Father Time
happily coexist here, there are many places
where you can get a fresh perspective on
the past while inhaling fresh air. The Fundy
Geological Museum, for instance, has a
tour that combines a Zodiac boat trip with
an actual dinosaur dig (fundygeological.
novascotia.ca). And perhaps that’s Nova
Scotia’s biggest asset: it off ers the best of
both worlds.
WHAT’S NEW? Nova Scotia has been dubbed “Canada’s
Courtesy of virtual reality, you can now race CITY LIGHTS Ocean Playground,” and since you’re never
an experimental hydrofoil at the Alexander
Graham Bell National Historic Site (www.
parkscanada.gc.ca/alexandergrahambell).
White Point Beach Resort’s tasty new
package invites guests to go out on a lobster
boat at the crack of dawn, work on deck,
then feast on the catch (www.whitepoint.
com).
TOWN CLOCK ON CITADEL HILL, HALIFAX • DISCOVER HALIFAX
The Halifax Citadel debuts a multimedia
exhibit chronicling the building of the fort
and an immersive one focusing on WWII.
Canadian Hockey League fans will be in
th
th
heaven May 16 to 26 when Halifax’s
st
Scotiabank Centre hosts the 101 Memorial
Cup championship (www.chlmemorial
cup.ca).
Late this year, the unveiling of the
massive, mixed-use Queen’s Marque
development will add even more life to
queensmarque.com).
Camping gets kicked up a notch thanks to
private-island glamping off ered by Pleasant
Paddling and Cape LaHave Adventures
(www.pleasantpaddling.com; www.
capelahaveadventures.ca).
Billed as Canada's fi rst art maze, BernArt—
a labyrinthine outdoor gallery outside
Lunenburg—lets visitors wander among
fun, fantastical creations (www.be-amazed.
bernart.ca).
If you need an urban fi x, Halifax—last year
ranked as a “Destination on the Rise” by
TripAdvisor—is the place to go. Although
this is Atlantic Canada’s largest, most
cosmopolitan city, its tourist centre is
conveniently compact, and most major
attractions—the Halifax Citadel, the
Historic Properties, the Maritime Museum
of the Atlantic and the Canadian Museum
117
of Immigration at Pier 21 among them—
are all within blocks of its huge natural
harbour. Tempting shopping, dining, and
nightlife options are close at hand as well.
After strolling around the bustling water-
front boardwalk, you can take a leisurely
harbour cruise or follow the locals’ lead and
hop a commuter ferry for a quick cross-
harbour trip (www.discoverhalifaxns.com).
Sydney, technically part of the Cape
Breton Regional Municipality, is Nova
Scotia’s only other urban centre. Located
on the Island’s east coast, it has its own
waterfront boardwalk and a smattering of
heritage buildings. Moreover, it makes a
handy base for exploring attractions in
nearby Glace Bay, including the Marconi
National Historic Site, which is dedicated to
the Italian radio pioneer who established a
transatlantic messaging station there in
1902, and the Cape Breton Miners’ Museum
where you can don a hard hat and descend
into a coal mine. The Fortress of Louisbourg
National Historic Site is 45 minutes away by
car (www.cbrm.ns.ca ).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
more than 67 km (42 mi.) from a coast,
enjoying on-the-water activities is easy.
Boating is a top draw, which is no surprise
considering options include sailing on Bras
d’Or Lake, and paddling in Kejimkujik
National Park and National Historic
Site—retracing routes Native Mi’kmaq used
for thousands of years. Scuba diving and
deepsea fi shing are also popular; ditto for