Highways map of Cape Breton with cities

Cape Breton      

Long known as "the" Nova Scotia destination, Cape . Breton  Island has a well-established reputation for fine hospitality, wonderful  music, and spectacular scenery, once prompting Alexander Graham Bell to  write, "I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian  Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for  simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all." The seat of ancient  culture and hub of the Celtic music revival, Cape Breton is where  Scottish traditions and Gaelic folklore come alive. Bagpipes and fiddles  echo through the glens, starting in the rocky shore near the Canso  Causeway to the incredible plateaus of Cape Breton Highlands National  Park, along the Cabot Trail. This highway, carved into the sides of  mountains rising high above the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic  Ocean, offers fabulous vistas. Whales can often be spotted offshore, and  bald eagles soar above.      

Baddeck [D6] The famous inventor, teacher, and humanitarian  Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) lived and worked here for the last 37  years of his life. A national historic site displays one of the largest  collections of artifacts pertaining to his life and work.

Cape Breton's highlands are a colorful tapestry of woodland,  tundra, and bogs, home to mink, bobcats, lynx, white-tailed deer, and  more than 200 bird species. The Cabot Trail skirts the park, while 26  hiking trails offer everything from short, interpreted walks to  challenging hikes through mountain and coastal landscapes with superb  views.      

Glace Bay [C8] Life in Glace Bay has always been synonymous  with coal, and life in the mines at the turn of the 20th century can be  experienced at the Miner's Museum and Village. If you don a hard hat,  retired miners will take you inside Ocean Deeps Colliery, an  under-the-ocean mine shaft. The Marconi National Historic Site Cape  Breton Celtic sound pays homage to Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor who  sent the first transatlantic wireless message from Glace Bay to England  in 1902.      

Louisbourg [D8]      

Meticulously rebuilt on the foundations of the original  fortress, Louisbourg is the largest historic reconstruction in North  America, where costumed animators bustle about re-creating the daily  life in a fortified French town during the summer of 1744. Try an  18th-century meal at the Hotel de la Marine.      

Mabou [D5] North America's only single malt whisky distillery,  Glenora Inn and Distillery is located in the hills of Cape Mabou, and  is like a slice of old Scotland. Scottish traditions are still strong in  Mabou, where Gaelic is taught in the schools. There is a Gaelic and  Historical Society Centre in the center of town.      

Sydney [C7] Founded by Loyalists in 1785 and built on rich  seams of coal, Sydney was the cradle of Canada's industrial revolution,  and is distinguished by many historic buildings, such as St. George's  Church (1787), one of the oldest Anglican churches in Canada. An  extensive boardwalk with colonial lighting winds along the harbor  front-a popular spot for entertainment during the summer. Ferries for  Newfoundland embark from North Sydney.      

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Cities de la Madeleine      

The 100-km-long archipelago of the lies de la Madeleine  (Magdalen Islands), located in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,  is made up of about a dozen islands. Six are connected to one another by  long, thin sand spits. Life here among the Madelinots, as the Islanders  are known, is laid-back and pastoral. Visit quaint churches and  vanishing hay barns, indulge in some beachcombing or windsurfing, or  learn about shipwrecks at the Musee de la Mer. (The islands are the  second largest marine cemetery in North America, after Sable Island,  with over 500 shipwrecks.) More than 50 bird species inhabit the island  during migration. A large bird sanctuary, lie Rocher-aux-Oiseaux, may be  visited by boat.      

Bras d'Or Lake      

The highlands meet the lowlands at Bras d'Or Lake. Circle this  inland sea to experience the life of Scottish settlers at lona, learn  about quarrying at Marble Mountain, delve into trains and train travel  at the Orangedale Railway Station Museum, or take a seabird and  ecological sailing tour.      

Hand-made traditional ash baskets are just one of the  treasures found at the Whycocomagh First Nations Reserve, one of four  Mi'kmaq reserves along the shores. Traditional drumming, dancing, and  storytelling take place at a reenactment of a 16th-century encampment at  Chapel Island First Nations Reserve.