Founded by fur trappers, Montreal is now the largest French-speaking city outside France. Cosmopolitan and lively, it is a center for cinema, high fashion and finance. Here the finest shops are underground, around the modern subway. Ascend Mont-Royal for a view, or venture into the Laurentian Mountains for the stunning scenery.
The only walled city in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quebec City has a distinct French flavor and is blessed with a spectacular location on a cliff overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Dominating the skyline is the splendid hotel Chateau Frontenac, a romantic sight with its steep-pitched roofs and French-style turrets. Quebec City is an explorer's delight with cobblestoned streets, 17th and 18th-century buildings, an immense star-shaped fortress and a funicular that you can ride between the upper and lower towns. Visit the Petit Champlain quarter, the oldest part, the Place des Armes and Plains of Abraham-all with a genteel, European character.
A provincial capital with a distinctly English feel. Where red double-decker buses motor along streets lined with Victorian homes, boutiques and tea shops; and the house of "Anne of Green Gables" is open for all to visit.
Nova Scotia's second largest city, Sydney is located on Cape Breton Island. While the tradition is definitely Scottish, one of the highlights of a visit to Sydney is the restored French fortress at Louisbourg-where shopkeepers and inhabitants dress, live and produce goods in the tradition of the 18th century. At Sydney, you'll also find some of Eastern Canada's most beautiful parks and trails. The Alexander Graham Bell Museum is worth a visit, too.
Ascend the hillside streets to the Citadel, a star-shaped fort built in 1749, where the traditional Noon Gun recalls the British garrison. Visit the restored wharves of Historic Properties, now filled with shops, and Halifax Public Gardens, the oldest formal Victorian gardens in North America. Or drive out along the Lighthouse Route to the rustic fishing village of Peggy's Cove, for postcard-perfect Nova Scotian scenery: lobster pots, fishing boats, and a shining Atlantic seascape just offshore.
Founded by fur trappers, Montreal is now the largest French-speaking city outside France. Cosmopolitan and lively, it is a center for cinema, high fashion and finance. Here the finest shops are underground, around the modern subway. Ascend Mont-Royal for a view, or venture into the Laurentian Mountains for the stunning scenery.