Historic Sights
Staying at The Lunenburg Inn puts you in the heart of Old Town Lunenburg – a UNESCO World Heritage site. In fact, the colourful waterfront and narrow streets of historic Lunenburg are just a few minutes’ walk from the Inn. Travel + Leisure even ranked Lunenburg the 6th most beautiful coastal town in the world (the only Canadian town on the list). No wonder guests love stepping right out our door and immersing themselves in galleries, shops, cafés and harbourside attractions. Read on for highlights and hidden gems in the town and surrounding South Shore.
Old Town Lunenburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site) –
Historic town center with over 70% of its 18th/19th-century colonial buildings preserved; one of only two North American urban UNESCO sites.
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic –
Waterfront museum dedicated to Lunenburg’s fishing heritage, featuring historic vessels (including the Theresa E. Connor schooner) and interactive exhibits about maritime life.
Bluenose II –
Iconic schooner (replica of the famous “Queen of the North Atlantic” on the Canadian dime) permanently docked in Lunenburg, offering harbor cruises and a peek into sailing history.
Knaut-Rhuland House Museum –
1793 Georgian-style National Historic Site and museum in Old Town Lunenburg, with costumed guides recreating 19th-century settler life and demonstrating traditional crafts.
St. John’s Anglican Church –
Consecrated in 1754, one of North America’s oldest Anglican churches, noted for its Carpenter Gothic architecture and original interior (the earliest in Nova Scotia).
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church –
Historic 1776 church in Lunenburg famous for its spire and an 18th-century bell brought from Fortress Louisbourg.
Lunenburg Academy National Historic Site –
The “Castle on the Hill,” an 1890s Victorian-era school building (now museum) atop Gallows Hill, showcasing Lunenburg’s educational and architectural heritage.