Come to Lunenburg for a fun trip in a UNESCO World Heritage Site
We drove to Lunenburg on a beautiful summer day
Lunenburg is just an hour’s drive from Halifax. We set out in the morning with no plan other than to have fun at a UNESCO World Heritage Site on a fabulous summer day. We had fun getting there; we had fun while we were there; and we had fun on the return trip.
Lunenburg is one of the prettiest towns in Canada.
Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America.
UNESCO Designation
Old Town Lunenburg is one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Seventy percent of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries continue to greet visitors with their colourful façades.
The Lunenburg shoreline is one of the most photographed towns in Canada
This is a well-known photo of Lunenburg. I took a photo of the photo. I wanted to hire a boat to take us out in the harbour so that we could see this panorama of Lunenburg.
We made many stops on our way to the harbour in Lunenburg
The buildings are very colourful in Lunenburg. The purple and white house to the left in this photo was the most perplexing. Were they painting the house white or purple? Actually, there were no signs of anyone painting so I guess they decided that a white splotch on a purple house was just right.
Our walk to the harbour was fun and funny
Is poutine our national dish?
Would you eat here?
We had fun inside the shops
The Bluenose was built in Lunenburg. The shops are filled with Bluenose memorabilia.
It was said the Bluenose could dance on top of the ocean, cutting through waves like no other ship on the sea. As a racing schooner, she was undefeated in her 18-year career and became a Canadian icon.
Today, her spirit lives on in the Bluenose II – Nova Scotia’s tribute to our shipbuilding heritage.
The refit of the Bluenose II turned into a boondoggle
Bluenose II cost probe requested by Nova Scotia government
CBC News 2014
The Nova Scotia government is asking the auditor general’s office to delve into the cost overruns and delays in the rebuild of the Bluenose II as the premier called it a “boondoggle” project.
“From the day we came into power, we’ve dealt with this. Our No. 1 focus is to get that boat in the water.”
The high-profile restoration project is two years behind schedule and more than $4 million over budget. The original budget for the project was $12.5 million and the latest estimate stands at $16.7 million, but the government has admitted labour costs will push that amount higher.
Lawsuits and management infighting have also delayed the project.
“There was zero good will, quite frankly, on any front,” he said.
The price tag of the refit is finally in:
Eight years after the refit was announced, Nova Scotia taxpayers finally know the official cost of rebuilding the Bluenose II:
$24 million.
That’s about $10 million more than the original estimate.
I don’t think the story of the boondoggle refit will go out with the tide!
The shops in Lunenburg are filled with beautiful local crafts
We loved the quilts in this quilt-art gallery
The quilts are stunning and so are the price tags. This quilt is $55,000
I am inside the mouth of a whale!
It was too sunny for harbourfront photos!
This plaque is dedicated to the captain of the Bluenose from 1921 to 1938
If you are in Lunenburg, look for this knotty guy
We had lots of fun with the knotty guy
We asked the knotty guy where he learned his craft. He said that he was a sailor on a Columbia University research vessel in the 1970’s. He had lots of spare time on his hands so he learned to tie knots.
Tying knots is hard work
These are knot-tying tools
The knotty guy explained the process to create a knot. He starts with a single piece of rope. He soaks the ends in water. Then he combs out the ends and knots the middle.
He sells everything he makes. I bought a knot as a souvenir.
Fishing is a harsh life
The Fisherman’s Memorial on the waterfront is dedicated to fishermen who have died at sea.
The Fisherman’s Memorial is a compass rose
There are eight three-sided granite columns, one at each compass point.
The names of all the mariners who have lost their lives at sea are inscribed on the black granite. The saddest part of this monument is the blank columns where future names will be inscribed.
Whale watching is safer than fishing
There are lots of en plein air artists in Lunenburg
See the view through an artist’s eyes
Where can you see the panoramic view of the Lunenburg waterfront?
These artists know that the road to the golf course has the best panoramic views of Lunenburg.
These artists are having lots of fun on their outing. They were picnicking, painting and laughing.
Do you want to be an en plein air artist? It looks like fun!
We didn’t have to get in a boat to enjoy one of the prettiest waterfront pictures in Canada
We drove to the golf course across the harbour to take in the panoramic views of the Lunenburg waterfront
Take a trip to Lunenburg and capture your own picture of the prettiest UNESCO World Heritage Site
Rose Ann MacGillivray
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Lunenburg is picture perfect!
It is so colorful with loads of history and delicious seafood.
Don & I enjoyed fabulous calamari at the Fleur de Sel on Montague.
Lunenburg is definitely one of my favourites towns in Nova Scotia.
Thank you, Rose Ann, for taking me home. xo
Thank you for the lovely comment, Carol Anne. My sister and I had a fabulous day in Lunenburg. Years ago, Norman and I stayed overnight in Lunenburg. I had the best pan-seared scallops I have ever had. Norman wanted to buy a house in Lunenburg. He loved the idea of owning a house in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, for me, Lunenburg is too far from Antigonish!