Tourism
Celebrate Halifax's rich culture and colourful diversity. A multitude of activities and adventures can be enjoyed during your stay. Explore Halifax's rich history by visiting our many historic sites and parks, such as the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site or Point Pleasant Park. Citadel Hill is one of Canada's most visited national historic sites.
The Halifax Busker Festival will be held the same time as the CUC, and is located along Halifax's beautiful waterfront. While strolling the waterfront, visit the many restored buildings dating back to the 1740's, enjoy local art galleries, boutiques and crafts, and of course, enjoy Maritime hospitality in one of the many local pubs and restaurants.
Other attractions include Shakespeare by the Sea (an outdoor theatre), beautiful Halifax Public Gardens, Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre, Keith's Brewery Tour and the Farmers' Market held every Saturday in the Brewery Market.
Many excellent day trips can be done from Halifax. For most of the outside-Halifax events, renting a car will serve you best. Inside Halifax, a car can be advantageous, but you can get around on bicycle too -- the trip from the south end of Halifax to Bedford is about one hour for an avid cyclist along the Bedford Highway.
One day trip takes the Lighthouse Route along Nova Scotia's South Shore. Follow route 333 to Peggy's Cove and merge with the Bay Road (Highway 3). Go through St. Margaret's Bay, Chester and its gorgeous basin, to Mahone Bay and Lunenberg (both are very picturesque towns just off the Highway), and end at Risser's Beach near Bridgewater. The whole drive is very scenic, with sailboats, craft niches along the way, and plenty of photo opportunities. If you have more time on your hands, you may want to venture as far as Shelburne, with its own special charms.
Lunenberg is a world heritage site, the home to the Bluenose II, and hosts many historic buildings.
Another day trip is to the Annapolis valley (Evangeline Trail) along the bay of Fundy, where much of the province's agriculture happens. Take Highway 102 out of Halifax and then switch to Highway 101 at Exit 4 (Bedford). In the Valley, you can view the world's highest tides; a one hour hike at Cape Split gives a great view of the tides as the enter or leave the Minas Basin. You can also visit Wolfville, a quaint little university town with beautiful views of Blomindon and home to Acadia University. It is about a one hour drive out of Halifax. Stop at Grand Pré and hear its sad story of Evangeline and her lover, and wander through the beautiful gardens. Take Highway 1 southerly and visit Kentville and New Minas where you will find many places to stop for apples, wine, ice cream and farmers' markets. Bring a tent along with you to camp out on Cape Blomindon and enjoy some great views of the ocean. If you have more time, continue further south on Highway 1 to Annapolis Royal and explore Fort Anne, a national historic site: the oldest Canadian British fort. You may also want to visit Port Royal, a reconstruction of early 17th century French encampment along the Nova Scotian coast.
Cape Breton offers many scenic travel opportunities. You should plan on taking more than one day to tour Cape Breton. Sydney on the eastern tip of the island, is about a 5 hour drive from Halifax. Two notable historical and cultural stops are the fortress of Louisbourg and the Gaelic College Cape Breton. Louisbourg is the largest reconstruction project in North America and has guides in period costumes to give you all the history of the historic site. Anyone with even the remotest Scottish ties will love the Gaelic College's history lesson on the migration of Scottish settlers to the Cape. You can even look up your family tartan! Don't forget the grand vistas of the Cabot trail along the north-eastern end of the island.
