NB Map New Brunswick northern path with cities and roads

To enter northern New Brunswick is to enter the heart of  Brayonne country, known locally as the Republic of Madawaska. It was  here that lumbermen on both sides of the Saint John River fought over a  tract of timber-rich land in what became known as the "Pork and Beans  War" (named after the lumberman's favored meal). The conflict was  resolved in 1842 after the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. But  five years of skirmishes between the Americans and Canadians had created  a concept of an independent Madawaska. Brayons are a lesser-known part  of the rich cultural mix in this region, bounded by the Saint John River  to the west and the Acadian settlements of the North Atlantic coast to  the east, and riven by the Miramichi, one of the world's great salmon  rivers. The Mi'kmaq missionaries, British royals, American millionaires,  Irish, Danes, Scots, and Germans have all left their mark here.     

Bathurst [A5] Situated at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River  (Mi'kmaq for "tumultuous river"), Bathurst was a pulp-and-paper town  before it developed as a mining center in the 1950s. Bathurst is also a  particularly fine spot for bird enthusiasts. The Daly Point Reserve has  several trails through the woods and by the salt marsh, as well as an  observation tower. В North of the town in Petit-Rocher is the New  Brunswick Mining and Mineral Interpretation Centre, which features  exhibits on the local zinc-mining industry.     

Bouctouche [E7] Listed as one of Harrowsmith's "Prettiest Towns  in Canada," Bouctouche is a charming Acadian fishing village marked by  warm beaches and excellent lobster and oyster fishing. The birth-place  of Acadian novelist Antonine Maillet, Bouctouche also offers Le Pays de  la Sagouine, a mainland and island park that re-creates life in an  Acadian village in the early 1900s, dedicated to La Sagouine, Maillet's  1970 novel. The Irving Eco-Centre has an interpretation center devoted  to the understanding of endangered dune ecosystems.     

Chatham and Newcastle [C5] The towns and villages along the  Miramichi are like a glittering necklace of pearls, cultured and rich in  history. Newcastle is home to Canada's oldest fish hatchery and the  boyhood home of press baron Lord Beaverbrook (1879-1964). His former  home is open to the public. Chatham is steeped in history of the Cunard  shipping dynasty of the late 1800s. The Miramichi Natural History Museum  documents its past.     

Grand Falls [C1]     

Here, the Saint John River drops 23 m through one of the  largest cataracts east of Niagara Falls. The Malecite Native tribe  called the falls Chik-un-il-pe, or "the Destroying Giant." The  1.5-km-long Grand Falls Gorge can be explored from walking trails,  breathtaking lookouts, and boat tours.     

Hartland [E1] In the heartland of New Brunswick's potato  country, Hartland is famous for the world's longest covered bridge,  officially opened in 1901 and spanning 390 m across the Saint John  River. The seven-span truss bridge became a national historic site in  1980, and features a park and interpretive center. Legend has it that  dreams come true for those who cross the bridge without exhaling.     

Shediac [E7] Shediac calls itself the "Lobster Capital of the  World," with an annual lobster festival in July and a giant 14 m  crustacean statue at the Visitor Centre. For more than a century,  tourists have flocked to the town's beaches, whose waters are the  warmest north of the Carolinas. Parlee Beach attracts more than a  million visitors each year.     

Shippagan [A7]     

Shippagan is a backbone of marine and aquacul-ture research.  Boating excursions and the Shippagan Aquarium and Marine Centre  introduce 125 marine species found in the area, lie Lameque boasts  ancient peat bogs and a festival honoring pioneers of the peat-moss  industry.     

BATHURST     

Daly Point Reserve     

BOUCTOUCHE     

Le Pays de la Sagouine Irving Eco-Centre La Dune de Bouetouche     

CHATHAM     

Miramichi Natural History Museum     

St. Michael's Historical Museum W.S. Loggie House and Cultural Centre     

HARTLAND     

Hartland Covered Bridge     

NEWCASTLE     

Beaverbrook House The Enclosure Park     

SHEDIAC     

Parlee Beach Pointe du Chene Shediac Island Nature Park Pascal Poirier House (1835)     

SHIPPAGAN     

Shippagan Aquarium and Marine Centre lie Lameque Л/ilderness beaches and deep-sea fishing on Miscou Island