The Best Small Town In The Maritimes For A 3-Day Weekend
If you’re craving a seaside 3-day weekend in the Maritimes, one with postcard views of the Atlantic Coast and plenty to do between leisurely meals, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, delivers. Down on the wharf, you can see the Bluenose II (the celebrated schooner replica and Nova Scotia icon), then stick around for a meal on the water at The Old Fish Factory, a restaurant set inside a former fish processing plant. Add in colorful streetscapes, small galleries, and that unmistakable “old-world coastal town” energy, and you’ve got a weekend that feels both classic and comfortably curated.
Historic Waterfront
Established in 1753, 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 still stand. Their preserved wooden architecture and colorful exterior facades continue to delight those who amble through the Lunenburg Waterfront.
The Lunenburg Waterfront is both an homage to Nova Scotia’s seafaring and boatbuilding traditions and still a working waterfront. Down on the wharf, visitors will find the Bluenose II, an exact replica of the original schooner Bluenose. The original Bluenose was built in Lunenburg, embarked on its inaugural sail in 1921, and, for 17 consecutive years, won every international competition. The Bluenose then struck a reef off Haiti in 1946. By then, it was a beloved Canadian icon, especially among Nova Scotians.
The Bluenose II was built by many of the same people who worked on the original Bluenose at the same shipyard in Lunenburg. Today, the Bluenose II takes passengers on 2-hour harbor cruises twice daily between June and September. Outside of this time, when the Bluenose II is docked, it is occasionally accessible for free to walk its deck and converse with its crew.
Nearby, the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic houses three floors of exhibits inside a former fish processing plant. The exhibits include galleries, artifacts, and vessels pertaining to fishing and seafaring heritage. It opens seasonally between May and October. The Old Fish Factory is housed inside the museum, and similarly, is only open seasonally, although for a much shorter time from June to October. Enjoy dining right on the waterfront while sampling fresh, locally sourced seafood.
Downtown Delights
Downtown Lunenburg is dotted with many independently owned businesses that operate out of its historic buildings. Ironworks Distillery is a micro-distillery named after the 1893 marine blacksmith’s shop it runs out of. They are open for guided behind-the-scenes tours where you will learn about the distilling processes, as well as tasting experiences where you can sample their products.
Drop in at the Purcell Family Art Gallery, Lunenburg’s oldest art gallery, established in 1970. The gallery exhibits and sells fine art, prints, and other art forms created by three generations of the Purcell family.
Harborside Accommodation
Lunenburg Arms Hotel and Spa is a boutique hotel in the center of downtown, set apart from other accommodation options by its in-house spa, which offers manicures, pedicures, massage treatments, hair, and facial treatments. While each room is uniquely its own, they all have the same modern amenities, which include in-room climate control, private ensuite bathroom, cable television, refrigerator, and coffee maker.
Smuggler’s Cove Inn is a historic hotel with some rooms granting views of the harbor or downtown. The room types include a king bed, a queen bed, or two double beds. In addition to modern comforts in the rooms, there is a communal living room on the property. Its historic feel is enhanced by high ceilings, crown moldings, and a fireplace.
Explore the Coast
Second Peninsula Provincial Park is a large, spacious park on the ocean that accesses a cobblestone beach. The park is particularly popular among picnickers due to the abundance of picnic tables. Other activities include swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife observation. There is on-site parking, and it is only 10 kilometers from Lunenburg.
At Ovens Natural Park, you can hike along the coastal cliffs to reach the sea caves, or “ovens,” which the park was named after. This 180-acre coastal forest is the site of the 1861 gold rush. To this day, visitors can still pan for gold on the beach, as well as venture along the trail on self-guided walks, kayak, and picnic. The park is open seasonally, usually open from mid-May until mid-October.
3 Days in the Maritimes
Lunenburg is perfectly preserved in time, yet at the same time modernized for a comforting 3-day weekend. A fish processing plant has turned into a museum and restaurant, a blacksmith into a distiller, and other historic buildings into elevated hotels. The ideal time to visit is during the summer months when the weather is warmer, the Fish Factory is open for waterfront dining, and the Bluenose II is waiting to take you out to sea. But during the off-season, the streets are still as vibrant, the hotels aren’t fully booked, and the whole town is more peaceful. Regardless of when you visit, Lunenburg is the prime location for a 3-day weekend in the Maritimes.
