Sights & Attractions in Halifax

Halifax is an intimate city that's large enough to have the trappings of a capital city, yet small enough that many of its sights can be seen on a pleasant walk downtown.

Immediately north of Halifax lies Dartmouth. The 23 lakes within Dartmouth's boundaries, which have given Dartmouth the moniker "City of Lakes," provided the Mi'Kmaqs, the original people of Nova Scotia, with a canoe route to the province's interior and to the Bay of Fundy. A 19th-century canal system connected the lakes for a brief time, but today there are only ruins, which have been partially restored as historic sites. You can drive, or take the ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth—the two cities are closely connected, and only about a 20-minute ferry ride away. If you walk along the water behind the modern Law Courts in Halifax, near the Historic Properties, you soon reach the Dartmouth ferry terminal, jammed with commuters during rush hour. The terminal is home to the oldest operational saltwater ferry service in North America, which began in 1732. If you do take the ferry (its $2 fare is the cheapest Halifax Harbor cruise and it's only about a 20-minute ride), be sure to check out the sculptures by artist Dawn McNutt in the courtyard just outside the Dartmouth terminal. You may also want to head straight up the hill, along Pleasant Street, to explore funky secondhand stores, pawnbrokers, and antiques and curio shops.

If you'd rather walk to Dartmouth, try the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, which has a walkway and a bicycle path—the bridge is 2 km (1 mi) long, so estimate a 20-minute walk from stem to stern. After you come off the bridge, keep right until you can follow the wooden boardwalk for a stroll along the water. Eventually you arrive at the Dartmouth ferry terminal, where you can return to downtown Halifax or continue along the boardwalk to see remnants of the Shubenacadie Canal.