Things to Do in Nova Scotia

The vast green space and wooded trails of Point Pleasant Park, on the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula, contains 185 acres (75 hectares) of oceanside parkland. Bustling with walkers, joggers, and visitors to the seaside city, this park is home to statues, events, and memorials including the Halifax Monument erected in 1969.

Located on the city’s waterfront, Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is where you go to get schooled on Nova Scotia’s maritime heritage.

The ocean has shaped the lives of those living in the Maritimes for centuries, whether it’s through the fishery, boatbuilding, or the navy. Here there’s an emphasis placed on boats themselves, from small crafts to World War Convoys. Various exhibits will take you through the sailing days of the early explorers to the age of steam.

You’ll also learn about the catastrophic Halifax Explosion, which occurred in 1917. A French cargo ship filled with wartime explosives collided with a Norwegian vessel not far from the Halifax Harbour. An onboard fire caused an explosion that flattened the Richmond District, killing 2000 people and injuring another 9000. At the time, it was the largest man-made explosion recorded in history.

The museum’s biggest draw, however, is its Titanic connection. While the survivors of the sunken ship went to New York City, the deceased were brought to Halifax. Many belongings of the deceased are now on display inside the museum, including the heart wrenching tiny shoes of the “Unknown Child.” Crews working at the site also brought back pieces of the wreckage, including woodwork flotsam.

Dating back to 1749, St. Paul’s Anglican Church is the oldest building in Halifax and the oldest standing Protestant church in Canada. As a National Historic Site of Canada, the church is noteworthy for its stained glass windows, pipe organ, subterranean crypt, and adjacent cemetery.

This Nova Scotia fishing town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts well-preserved wooden architecture. Visit the boat-filled harbor to take in its brightly painted clapboard homes and heritage buildings. Lunenburg is also the birthplace of the boat featured on the Canadian dime.

Every Friday to Sunday the Halifax Farmers' Market comes alive at Pier 20 with over 230 local vendors selling everything from crafts to produce. This market is the oldest continuously operating farmer’s market in North America, founded in 1750.

Pick up some fresh seafood at The Fish Shop, and pair it with selections from the Seaport Bread Shop. Need dessert? You can’t go wrong with Gourmandises Chocolaterie, or Foxhill Cheese and Dairy for something a little less sweet. Of course, you’ll need to grab a bottle of bubbly from Avondale Sky Winery to complete the meal!

Many artisans also display their wares weekly, like Andrea’s Jewelry Design and Gail Kirk Designs. If you need to pick up a unique, one-of-a-kind present or souvenir for someone special, you have tons to choose from. Several artists’ work feature local places and areas of interest in Atlantic Canada.

Tip: If you want the best of the best in produce and food, show up as early as possible. Grab some grub and head up on the rooftop’s green space for a perfect view of Halifax’s harbour.

An engineering feat if there ever was one, the curved, 12.9 kilometer-long (8 miles) Confederation Bridge is the longest in the world to cross ice-covered water. It carries the Trans-Canadian Highway, joining the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick by crossing the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Straight.

The Confederation Bridge’s construction spanned over four years and necessitated crews of more than 5,000 local workers; it opened to traffic on May 31, 1997, at a total construction cost of one billion dollars – to this day, it remains one of Canada’s most ambitious realisations. The 40 meters high (131 feet) and 11 meters wide (36 feet) bridge was built using multi–span, post-tensioned concrete box girder, reinforcing steel and 62 piers.

Set along the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia in eastern Canada, the vast natural harbor in Halifax has welcomed boats for centuries. Still a shipping hot spot, the harbor contains several islands, among them Georges Island, the former site of a British naval station, and the hiking trail–threaded McNabs Island. A bustling boardwalk lines the waterfront.

Did anyone say picture-perfect? Postcard-worthy Mahone Bay is a historic and charming village steeped in nautical history –so much so, in fact, that its name comes from the French word for the barge used by local privateers, “mahonne.” Indeed, Mahone Bay once was a safe haven for pirates and privateers back in the 18th century! The seaside town has since become famous for its wooden-boat building industry and its tourist attractions, as its waterfront has been heavily featured in travel magazines and has become nothing short of iconic thanks to the presence of three prominent churches: St James' Anglican, St John's Evangelical Lutheran and Trinity United. A popular tourist destination, Mahone Bay has plenty of both affordable and upscale dining, lodging and shopping options, including B&Bs, inns, specialty shops, art galleries and seafood-oriented, locally-sourced restaurants.

The bay itself, which faces the Atlantic Ocean, is marked by the presence of numerous picturesque working fishing communities and is spotted by the presence of 365 islands, including the prominent Big Tancook and Little Tancook islands and tree-covered Oak Island, famous for its buried treasures. Being so intricately linked to water, it therefore doesn’t come as a surprise that Mahone Bay would offer spectacular sailing and kayaking opportunities for water sports enthusiasts, as well as plentiful hiking, cycling and fauna observation options for visitors who would rather remain on firm ground.

Running along the south shore of the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia’s fertile Annapolis Valley produces some of Canada’s finest fruit and vegetables. Apple orchards and vineyards carpet the verdant valley, U-pick farms and farmers markets abound, and several historic sites recount the history of early Acadian settlers.

What better way to enjoy the fine Nova Scotia wines than on a scenic 10-hectare vineyard in the Annapolis region? Blessed with a micro-climate that permits grape growing, the Blomidon Estate Winery is located on the bucolic shore of the Minas Basin has won numerous national and international awards over the years. Many of the blocks were planted in 1986 –including established Baco Noir, L’Acadie Blanc, Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay, with newer plantings of Riesling, New York Muscat- giving Blomidon some of the oldest vines in the province. Their 100% Nova Scotia production includes crisp whites, strong reds, sweet rosés, sparkling wines (crémants and Prosecco-style sparkling) and delicate ice wines produced in the utmost Canadian tradition. The vineyard provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxed picnic or an expert tasting, and is one of the most picturesque pieces of land in the province.

Nestled in the rolling hills of the luxuriant Annapolis Valley, Avondale Sky Winery is by Stewart Creaser and Lorraine Vassalo, two wine lovers who traded stressful careers in the city for the demanding but rewarding life as winemaker. The duo has kept a very local approach to their endeavour, producing wine from their own grapes only and sourcing construction materials from local forlorn chapels and barns (including one that was transported across the Bay of Fundy, where the highest tides in the world occur), giving the whole winery a very wholesome feel. Avondale Sky Winery is often regarded as the quaintest and most picturesque one around, thanks to gentle slopes, expansive nurtured vines, an ever changing tidal landscape and the legendary panoramic Avondale sky.

Although the vineyard itself is one of the oldest in the province, the infrastructures are quite recent. The chief winemaker, Ben Swetnam, has studied in the Niagara Valley and worked in Germany before relocating to Nova Scotia, bringing invaluable expertise with him in the process. Avondale Sky Winery offers several white wines (L’Acadie Blanc, Pinot noir, Geisenheim, Gewürztraminer and Muscat), red wines (Maréchal Foch, Leon Millot and DeChaunac) as well as rosé and ice wines.

Established on old Acadian land in the heart of the Annapolis Valley, the Sainte-Famille Wines is owned by Doug and Suzanne Corkum and opened up for business in 1980. The winery overlooks the rolling hills that surround the Avon River Valley and is nestled in a unique site that makes it the warmest vineyard site in all of Nova Scotia.

Starting out with just one acre, the land now stretches over 25 acres of vineyard composed of eight varieties of white grapes and four varieties of red – 95% of the Sainte-Famille production comes from their own grapes. They offer a wide range of lesser known varieties, like Marechal Foch, Acadie Blanc, Seyval and Lèon Millot, as well as cherished classics like Chardonnay and Riesling. Blueberry ice wine and maple wine are also produced on site. Sainte-Famille Wines have won several Atlantic Canadian Wine Awards over their long career, as well as a Gold Medal at the International Eastern Wine Competition in New York.

Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre documents the history of Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaq people, a Native American tribe indigenous to Canada’s Maritime Provinces. Located in the town of Truro, the museum houses ancient artifacts, such as stone tools and porcupine quillwork, plus interactive exhibits covering Mi’kmaq language and culture.

Cabot Trail comprises 185 miles (298 kilometers) of cliff-edge roadway weaving around the northern half of Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island. It offers epic views of the whale-inhabited waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and access to quaint towns and Cape Breton Highlands National Park.