On our road trip through Atlantic Canada last fall, Nova Scotia won a special place in our hearts. It’s the most populated maritime province; yet, in some ways, it felt just as wild and undiscovered as Newfoundland (which we also loved). Since 80% of the province is covered with forest, you don’t have to go far to be embraced by nature. And Nova Scotia is a land of islands: With the largest being Cape Breton, the province is surrounded by some 3,800 coastal islands and includes more than 13,000 km of coastline.
In every sense of the word, modern Nova Scotia is a melting pot of cultures. The first inhabitants were the Mi’kmaq people, who lived there for thousands of years before the Europeans showed up. In 1605, the French established the first permanent European settlement in North America at Port Royal and laid the groundwork for Nova Scotia’s colorful (and sometimes tragic) Acadian heritage. Later came the British, Scottish, English, and Irish settlers along with waves of African Americans from the U.S. and the Caribbean. We experienced this multicultural identity everywhere, from the multilingual road signage (often in English, Gaelic, and Mi’kmaq) to the proudly Acadian lady who cut my hair in Wolfville.
Nova Scotia was both the launch pad and exit point for our journey through the Atlantic provinces. The ferry connection from Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth brought us to Canada in early September and then took us back towards home, over a month later. Except for a stop in Halifax, the vibrant capital (we posted separately about Halifax here), we didn’t spend much time in Nova Scotia on that first leg – heading straight up to Newfoundland. It wasn’t until our return from Newfoundland that we were able to dig in and really come to appreciate what’s special about this colorful, scenic, and unique province. And – bonus – we were there at the height of the fall foliage season, and it was as spectacular as we had imagined.
Here are our Nova Scotia highlights.
YARMOUTH AND SHELBURNE
Yarmouth is a pleasant seaside town on the southwest coast of Nova Scotia with a colorful maritime history, dating back to the arrival of French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604. The town is filled with gorgeously restored and maintained Victorian homes that date to its shipping heyday in the 19th century. Today Yarmouth has interesting museums and a couple of good seafood eateries (check out Rudder’s Seafood and Brewery on the waterfront). It’s also known as the “Gateway to Nova Scotia,” as the Canadian port for the CAT ferry linking Atlantic Canada to Bar Harbor, Maine.
The name “Nova Scotia” is Latin for “New Scotland,” a name given to the region in the 1620s. Nowhere is that Scottish heritage more apparent than on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia’s largest island and one of its most scenic areas. The imprint of the Scottish diaspora is everywhere, from town names – Inverness, Iona, Dundee – to the bilingual road signs in English and Scottish Gaelic and the Celtic music ringing out in bars.
Sydney and Louisbourg
Sydney is a small-ish port city on Cape Breton Island that provides a vital ferry connection for visitors traveling to Newfoundland. It’s also a popular cruise ship stopover for folks looking to do fall foliage tours. Sydney itself is not a terribly interesting town, but it’s a good base of operations for exploring Cape Breton Island.
In the 1960s, the Canadian government took on a highly ambitious and meticulous reconstruction of about a quarter of the original fortress buildings. The result is the immersive living history museum that visitors encounter today, complete with richly furnished exhibits and costumed, role-playing guides. You can watch the blacksmith go about his work, visit the bakery where fresh loaves are available for purchase (and they’re yummy!), and tour the barracks where uniformed soldiers will tell you all about the hardships they faced as 18th-century enlisted men. It’s well worth a day’s visit!
The pretty village of Baddeck is worth a visit on its own, but its big claim to fame is its ties to Alexander Graham Bell, the famed inventor, scientist, and engineer. Most of us know him as the patent-holder of the first practical telephone, but Bell was a true polymath – a pioneering innovator in the fields of aviation, hydrofoils, batteries, and technologies for the speech- and hearing-impaired. A Scot from Edinburgh, Bell and his wife Mabel built an impressive estate near Baddeck that eventually became their permanent home and final resting place. The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site just outside Baddeck is well worth a visit, offering a fascinating look into the world of this amazing man.
Northern Cape Breton Island is ringed with the Cabot Trail, a 298-km loop through the Cape Breton Highlands and Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We spent about a week traversing the Cabot Trail, staying in the small towns of Ingonish and Cheticamp. The scenery along the Cabot Trail was breathtaking, easily some of the most gorgeous we saw on this entire trip.
We fell in love with Wolfville. Of every place we visited on this trip, this was the one city in which we could picture ourselves living (if it weren’t for those pesky Canadian winters!). Tucked into an inlet on Nova Scotia’s northern shore, Wolfville is ground zero for Nova Scotia’s wine industry and is home to the famed Annapolis Valley wine region. Its heritage is deeply rooted in the history of the Acadians, the original French settlers who arrived in the area in the early 17th century. Wolfville is also a college town, home to Acadia University.
All of these factors give Wolfville a unique culture and sense of place that complement the gorgeous scenery. And – bonus – by the time we got there in early October, Nova Scotia’s fall foliage was in its full glory – making our visit even more memorable.
Located about 15 minutes east of Wolfville, Grand Pré National Historic Site pays homage to the contributions of the Acadians and also memorializes their tragic history at the hands of Great Britain in the mid-1700s. For about a century after their arrival around 1604, the Acadians lived in harmony with the local indigenous communities and thrived as farmers, building dikes to turn the marshes into rich farmland (you can actually walk along some of those dikes on the Wolfville waterfront).
Here’s the tragic part. For the most part, the Acadians trod a carefully neutral line as France and Great Britain fought for control of the region. By 1755, the British had gained permanent control of Nova Scotia but still faced incursions from the French as the Seven Years’ War raged. Over the next nine years in what was known as the Great Upheaval, the British forcibly expelled roughly 10,000 Acadians from Nova Scotia because they refused to take up arms against France. Soldiers burned homes, destroyed farms, and split up families, and many Acadians died at sea aboard ships that ferried them to England, France, and the American colonies. A large percentage ended up in present-day Louisiana and created the vibrant “Cajun” culture we know today. Many more later returned to Canada’s Maritime provinces, and their proud descendants still celebrate their culture through events such as Acadian Heritage Month in August.
LUNENBURG AND MAHONE BAY
The beautiful communities of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay, located about a 15-minute drive from each other on the southern coast of Nova Scotia, make a great stopover for visitors headed south out of Halifax or north from Yarmouth.
Lunenburg is an achingly picturesque port town that traces its European history to the mid-1700s. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town is filled with gorgeously restored 18th-century houses and boasts a rich shipbuilding heritage.
We were especially taken with Lunenburg’s St. John’s Anglican Church, built in 1754. (Side note: we have seen a LOT of historic churches in many different countries, so we’re not easily impressed!) St. John’s is the second-oldest protestant church in Canada, but disaster struck on Halloween 2001 when it was almost destroyed by fire.
The church underwent a painstaking restoration that brought it back to its former glory, with amazing attention to detail. One of the coolest details is the constellation of stars painted on the ceiling over the altar, which turned out – after some research – to represent the night sky at the birth of Jesus. It’s so beautiful!
Shh, don’t tell! They’re not really secret, but here are two relatively unknown places we stumbled on quite by accident – and both blew us away.
“Enchanting” is the best word to describe the Ueffings Garden, off Gospel Woods Road near the town of Canning (a short drive from Wolfville). It’s the private residence of the Ueffings family, but the beautiful gardens are open to the public and free to explore. The wooded trails offer panoramic views of the Annapolis Valley and pockets of whimsy everywhere. And we had it all to ourselves.
Just behind Cosby’s Garden Centre, on Highway 3 near the town of Liverpool, Concrete Creations is a fantastic realm of unique artwork created by local sculptor Ivan Higgins. (We would never have known about this place if we had not stopped for a coffee in Liverpool, where the server recommended it!) The sculpture garden occupies a mature birch forest strewn with boulders, and winding trails take visitors past garden sprites, acrobats, and mystical creatures – both human and otherwise. We could have wandered for hours in this magical place!
18 Comments
What a fascinating place! I loved the beautiful black and white church and I was interested to hear how the Cajuns ended up in Louisiana.
You would have loved seeing that church, Mimi! It’s really spectacular. And I also never knew about the connection between the Cajuns in LA and the Acadians of Canada. Such an interesting history. Thank you for your comment!
Great pictures and commentary.
We love Nova Scotia and have visited many times but you certainly saw some sights I’ve never even heard of. Thanks to you we have some new places to visit on our next road trip out east.
Steve
Thanks, Steven. I can see why you’ve visited NS so often. I think there are always new things to discover there. We’re looking forward to going back someday, ourselves!
Nova Scotia seems so underrated. I spent a couple days on Cape Breton Island many years ago but sadly neglected the rest of the province. This will be a great itinerary if I ever have a chance to return. Thanks for sharing!
I felt the same way – I didn’t know much about Nova Scotia and was looking more forward to some of the other provinces, like Newfoundland. But NS is a wonderland, filled with surprises like the Alexander Graham Bell connection (which I had no idea about). Hope you can go back and explore more someday!
Lovely compilation of the beauty of Nova Scotia and very nice fall colours. (Suzanne)
Thank you, Suzanne! Glad you enjoyed the post.
It looks very beautiful there. Going to put it on my bucket list. Thanks, Susan!
Hi Nancy! Hope you two can visit Nova Scotia someday. Hope you’re faring OK with all the terrible fires in Spain.
What a lovely tour! We also have fond memories from Nova Scotia, although we have not heard about the Sculpture Garden. For next time:)
Thanks, Christie! Every time we travel, we realize that the hidden places are often the most special. And this one was hidden in plain sight. Hope you can see it someday.
You picked the perfect time to visit Nova Scotia; those fall colors are so vibrant! I’ve yet to head that far east of Canada (let alone see any of The Maritimes), and as my spouse has been dreaming to go there for years, I have a feeling that we might make it there sooner than not! Thanks for sharing more of your adventure in Canada, and I look forward to reading more about this part of the country!
Thanks, Rebecca! I hope you get to see the Maritimes soon. It’s the perfect place for a road trip, and the Canadians were wonderful and welcoming.
Your excellent photography shows what a charming and gorgeous place this is. What interesting architecture and fabulous natural beauty…yeah, if it wasn’t for those winters, I can imagine living there, too! Thanks for the tour, Susan and John. 🙂
Thanks so much, Jane! The photos took themselves 🙂
How nice that your visit to Nova Scotia coincided with the peak autumn foliage season! I’ve just returned from a trip to Quebec a few weeks ago, and I can’t wait to go back to Canada and explore more of this country. I hope both of you were okay during and in the aftermath of the earthquake in Colombia.
Ah, Quebec! It’s really high on our bucket list to visit. We just love Canada and its people, even though our government hasn’t given them much reason to love us back lately! Let’s hope that changes soon. And thanks for your comment about the earthquake. It was SCARY, but all is well here! Take care, Bama 🙂