NS Detailed map of Southern Nova Scotia Canada

Southern Nova Scotia.      

Exploring southern Nova Scotia means hugging the coastline.  From the first settlement at Port Royal in 1605, settlement in southern  Nova Scotia has stayed primarily around the coast, leaving a vast,  untamed wilderness of lakes and forest inland, best seen in Kejimkujik  National Park. Bypass the modern highway that loops the region and take  the smaller meandering roads that twist and turn through charming  villages, opening a window onto local life. On the Fundy side, journey  through a patchwork quilt of fields, dykes, orchards, and vineyards of  the Annapolis Valley, a rich agricultural region where stately Victorian  homes testify to the success of 19th-century merchants and sea  captains. In spring, blooming apple orchards stretch for kilometers. On  the Atlantic side, relive the days of shipping and pri-vateersmen, of  buried treasures and water mills.     

Annapolis Royal [A3]      

This community is one of the oldest in Canada. The French  first established a fort and settlement here in the 1630s, captured by  the British in 1710 and renamed Fort Anne and Annapolis Royal in honor  of Queen Anne. Fort Anne National Historic Park, located in the heart of  town, preserves the history of both. The Annapolis Royal Historic  Gardens comprise a number of thematic gardens, a maze, and a bird  sanctuary, while the Tidal Power Project harnesses the world's highest  tides for electricity. IIAt nearby Port Royal, explore the reconstructed  French Habitation, site of the first permanent European settlement in  Canada.      

Bridgewater [B5]      

Straddling the LaHave River, this quiet coastal town is home  to the DesBrisay Museum, a 10-hectare park delving into the early German  settlement of Lunenburg County. The Wile Carding Mill, an authentic  water mill dating from 1860, is now a museum.      

Digby [B2] The home of one of the world's largest scallop  fleets and the ferry terminal for New Brunswick. Stroll along  Fisherman's Wharf, buy fresh seafood right from the boats, or board the  scallop dragger, Lady Vanessa, now a museum. Adventure awaits those who  venture down Digby Neck to Brier Island, a popular spot for bird and  whale watching. Westport, the home port of Joshua Slocum, the first man  to sail around the world alone, is a must for sailors. The island is  accessible by ferry.      

Kejimkujik National Park [B3] This national park, with its  gently rolling landscape, 300-year-old hemlocks, and numerous lakes,  offers some of the best canoeing in Eastern Canada. Mi'kmaq interpreters  tell of their culture and conduct hikes to old petro-glyphs carved in  the slate rocks on the shore of Kejimkujik Lake.      

Shelburne [D3] This shipbuilding town, founded by Loyalists in  the late 1700s, features many historic buildings, sites, and museums,  such as the Ross-Thomson House (1784), which has period merchandise in  its general store. The locals claim Shelburne as the birthplace of  yachting, and the town has an official town crier. The Dory Shop  preserves a three-story shipbuilding factory.      

Yarmouth [D1] Nova Scotia's largest seaport east of Halifax  and the terminus for ferries to Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine, Yarmouth  has much to interest maritime buffs. For a glimpse into Yarmouth's  seafaring past, visit the Yarmouth County Museum, with its impressive  collection of model ships and paintings. Or take a 'scenic drive to the  magnificent lighthouse at Cape Forchu. The beam from the lighthouse can  be seen 48 km out to sea.      

ANNAPOLIS ROYAL      

Fort Anne National      

Historic Site Annapolis Royal National Historic Gardens  Annapolis Tidal Power Project O'Dell Inn Museum (1869) Robertson  McNamara House (1785)      

BRIDGEWATER      

DesBrisay Museum Wile Carding Mill      

DIGBY      

Admiral Digby Museum Long Island Brier Island      

SHELBURNE      

Ross-Thomson House The Dory Shop Shelburne County Museum      

YARMOUTH      

Firefighters Museum of Nova Scotia Yarmouth County Museum and Archives The Wharves Yarmouth Light, Cape Forchu