Lunenburg
and Area: Things to Do
Lunenburg is a delightful port town of about 2,500, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home of the famous racing and fishing schooner Bluenose, the Bluenose II and the Picton Castle. The town was founded in 1753 and prospered during the heyday of fishing and shipbuilding, and still boasts a working waterfront.
Things to do in the town of Lunenburg:
- Walk around or take a walking tour, and enjoy the remarkable architecture of the historic Old Town, as well as the magnificent views.
- Visit the fascinating Fisheries Museum with its aquarium, restored fishing vessels, exhibits and excellent interactive children's activities.
- Steep yourself in Lunenburg's history with visits to the historic sites such as the Knaut Rhuland House Museum, Lunenburg Academy, magnificent churches, the Fisherman's Memorial on the waterfront and more.
- Sail on Bluenose II or the Eastern Star.
- Go on a whale watching tour.
- Take a tour in a horse-drawn carriage.
- Try deep sea fishing.
- Attend concerts in historic venues such as the beautifully restored St. John's Anglican Church and the Heritage Bandstand.
- Annual festivals in Lunenburg include:
- Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
- Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival
- Lunenburg Festival of Crafts
- Boxwood Music Festival and Workshop (featuring the traditional flute)
- Lunenburg Waterfront and Seafood Festival
Excellent restaurants and an interesting variety of craft and gift
shops, art galleries, antique stores. - If you play golf, you won't be able to resist the Bluenose Golf Club across the harbour.
- Sit on the deck and watch the coming and going of fishing trawlers, yachts and tall ships, including Bluenose II.
- There are municipal tennis courts, playgrounds and a swimming pool.
For your convenience, there is a complete grocery store a few hundred yards away, and the delivery boys will cheerfully bring your groceries (including that lobster!) right to the kitchen, free of charge. Welcome to village life in Nova Scotia!!
Lunenburg is home to Fisherman's Memorial Hospital, and there is a regional hospital 20 minutes away in Bridgewater.
In the immediate area
- Drive or bike along scenic roads to Blue Rocks and Stonehurst, LaHave, Mahone Bay, The Ovens Natural Park, and many other beautiful places.
- Fabulous South Shore beaches and other towns, such as Mahone Bay, are at your fingertips.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a seaside province of rare beauty, with miles of coastline and acres of woodlands and farming valleys. The air is fresh and pure and the people warm and friendly.
With under a million people in the province, travelling is easy and the open spaces plentiful. At the same time there is easy access to a wide array of local fresh foods (including seafood) as well as foods to suit cosmopolitan tastes. There are excellent restaurants, from fine dining to home-style local cooking, and all at reasonable prices.
We are proud of our heritage, which is preserved in an excellent system of museums, restored houses and living heritage sites (e.g. boat building or pioneer farming).
The cultures of our native people and the new settlers from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and many other lands is reflected in our place names, historic sites and traditional foods.
Please come and experience our communities by the sea and our beaches. You are warmly welcomed.
Halifax
Only one hour away, the provincial
capital, Halifax, outwardly shows a modern face, but has
an historic heart. It is a bustling city that has a long affiliation
with the sea.
You'll find excellent restaurants and shopping, historic and lively waterfront with buskers, shops, sailing tours, restaurants, a casino and entertainment. There are many excellent tours, such as the harbour hopper & a double-decker bus.
Halifax Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney, Australia); the harbour is the pulse that beats the city, bringing tourists and seafarers by the thousands. To more fully understand the importance of the sea in Halifax's history, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The museum houses a collection of nautical memorabilia including a display of shipwrecks off of Nova Scotia, Queen Victoria's barge, various historic small craft, and a continuously running film by National Geographic about the RMS Titanic, which sank off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1914.
