I visited many places on the Nova Scotia mainland during my seven week east coast adventure and would have a difficult time choosing one destination over another. If I did have to choose, the Town of Lunenberg would be at the top of my list. I will likely mention this a few times on this site, but I am a huge fan of port cities and harbour walks and Lunenberg gave me that and much more. It is no wonder that this picturesque town has been the recipient of so many awards. According to the Town of Lunenberg website, Lunenberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Historic District, winner of the Communities in Bloom most beautiful small town in Canada, Prettiest Painted Places in Canada, Port City of the Year and Society of American Travel Writers’ awards.
Getting to the harbour is like stepping down through history, on each terrace a street lined with restaurants, shops and galleries all located in colourful historic buildings and catering to the many visitors that visit this town each year. Although I did not plan an overnight stay (I will the next time I visit) and had only scheduled one day trip to Lunenberg on this trip to the east coast, I made a return trip from Halifax a few days later despite unfavourable weather.
Lunenberg was established in 1753 and is known as a world class fishing and ship building port. Lunenberg is where the original Bluenose was built and is the home of the Bluenose II. When I looked down at the harbour on my second visit, I watched as the Bluenose II left the dock with a load of passengers on-board, the last tour of the season I was told. I wished I had arrived a few hours earlier. I would love to have been standing on her deck as she sailed off into the fog. Next year. I did enjoy a delicious bowl of seafood chowder on the outdoor patio at the Old Fish Factory located right on the harbour.
If you are travelling from Halifax, I would suggest taking highway 3 instead of the 103 (Fisherman’s Memorial Highway). I actually travelled to Peggy’s Cove first and then turned onto highway 3 at Upper Tantallon instead of going back to the 103. Highway 3 runs along the coast and is much more scenic.
Getting to the harbour is like stepping down through history, on each terrace a street lined with restaurants, shops and galleries all located in colourful historic buildings and catering to the many visitors that visit this town each year. Although I did not plan an overnight stay (I will the next time I visit) and had only scheduled one day trip to Lunenberg on this trip to the east coast, I made a return trip from Halifax a few days later despite unfavourable weather.
Lunenberg was established in 1753 and is known as a world class fishing and ship building port. Lunenberg is where the original Bluenose was built and is the home of the Bluenose II. When I looked down at the harbour on my second visit, I watched as the Bluenose II left the dock with a load of passengers on-board, the last tour of the season I was told. I wished I had arrived a few hours earlier. I would love to have been standing on her deck as she sailed off into the fog. Next year. I did enjoy a delicious bowl of seafood chowder on the outdoor patio at the Old Fish Factory located right on the harbour.
If you are travelling from Halifax, I would suggest taking highway 3 instead of the 103 (Fisherman’s Memorial Highway). I actually travelled to Peggy’s Cove first and then turned onto highway 3 at Upper Tantallon instead of going back to the 103. Highway 3 runs along the coast and is much more scenic.
The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
The museum is an old fish processing plant that houses a number of galleries full of exhibits that take visitors back to the earliest days of the fishing industry on the east coast. You’ll learn about the marine life and about the people that embraced that way of life and you'll get an appreciation of the hard ships they faced.
Knowledgeable guides are on hand to answer questions and volunteers like Lorna Ross Wentzell demonstrate how to make ditty bags. These bags are made from old sails and used by sailors to carry personal belongings. Senior Conservator with Nova Scotia Museum, Ian Loughead repairs the fin on a museum piece that had been broken off by a curious young boy.
The museum is an old fish processing plant that houses a number of galleries full of exhibits that take visitors back to the earliest days of the fishing industry on the east coast. You’ll learn about the marine life and about the people that embraced that way of life and you'll get an appreciation of the hard ships they faced.
Knowledgeable guides are on hand to answer questions and volunteers like Lorna Ross Wentzell demonstrate how to make ditty bags. These bags are made from old sails and used by sailors to carry personal belongings. Senior Conservator with Nova Scotia Museum, Ian Loughead repairs the fin on a museum piece that had been broken off by a curious young boy.
Ironworks Distillery
On my second trip to Lunenberg, I stopped into the Ironworks Distillery, a small family owned business where fine spirits and liqueurs such as rum, brandy and vodka are produced. The distillery is located in an old blacksmiths shop that once manufactured every kind of iron works imaginable for the ship builders of Lunenberg. The historic building itself was enough to capture my attention.
The still is an impressive looking apparatus and is one of the first things that jumps out at you when step into the shop. Oak barrels full of fermenting product are stacked throughout and the shelves are lined bottles of rum, vodka and brandy. On the day that I stopped by, there were no extensive guided tours but the sales girls, Johanna and Tyla, did provide and good overview of the operation.
The website does advertise full daily guided tours that should be booked in advance. Even though my visit was just a step inside the front door, it was one stop that I’m glad I made. I did get an opportunity to sample some of the product and although I’m by no means a connoisseur, they do make some pretty good booze.
On my second trip to Lunenberg, I stopped into the Ironworks Distillery, a small family owned business where fine spirits and liqueurs such as rum, brandy and vodka are produced. The distillery is located in an old blacksmiths shop that once manufactured every kind of iron works imaginable for the ship builders of Lunenberg. The historic building itself was enough to capture my attention.
The still is an impressive looking apparatus and is one of the first things that jumps out at you when step into the shop. Oak barrels full of fermenting product are stacked throughout and the shelves are lined bottles of rum, vodka and brandy. On the day that I stopped by, there were no extensive guided tours but the sales girls, Johanna and Tyla, did provide and good overview of the operation.
The website does advertise full daily guided tours that should be booked in advance. Even though my visit was just a step inside the front door, it was one stop that I’m glad I made. I did get an opportunity to sample some of the product and although I’m by no means a connoisseur, they do make some pretty good booze.
Gail Patriarche Gallery
On my way back to my car, I happened to pass the Gail Patriarche Gallery. I looked in the window and saw a woman painting a scene, so I had to stop in and chat. It was Gail and she was happy to show me around and let me photograph her. Gail paints local scenes and wildlife—her work speaks for itself.
Check her out for yourself at: www.gailpatriarchegallery.com
