Lunenburg

This remarkably preserved town has a colorful past and some very colorful buildings, a combo that earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The British probably had something more staid in mind when they founded Lunenburg in 1753, but the German, Swiss, and French Protestants recruited to settle here put their own stamp on it. The result? Rainbow-hued houses characterized by the "Lunenburg Bump": a detailed dormer over the front door. Naturally, locals didn't spend all their time on home improvements. By the 1850s they'd transformed the town into a world-class fishing and shipbuilding center. Today, blacksmiths and dory builders continue to work on the waterfront and, appropriately, the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is the top attraction. An in-the-middle-of-it-all location, plus a growing supply of fine lodging, dining, shopping, and touring options makes Lunenburg one of the best bases for a Nova Scotia vacation.