Sightseeing around Lunenburg
(click on photos for larger view)Lunenburg was first settled mostly by German Protestants in 1750's. It soon became a town centered around fishing, shipping and ship building. Fishing reached its peak in the 1950's and 1960's and started to decline with the advent of the large scale floating fishing factories. However, there are still many boats afloat and at port.
1 - The Picton Castle leaves Lunenburg - this steel hulled barque sails around the world training young men & women. It was originally used as a mine sweeper during world war II. It sells goods that it has gathered worldwide at dockside when it returns.
2 - A scallop dragger - these ships stay out at sea for weeks processing and freezing the scallops on board. If you catch them when they return you can buy the freshest and most delicious scallops possible.
3 - The Bluenose - built in Lunenburg, this schooner was the fastest afloat during the 1920's & 30's. It was used in fishing, shipping and probably rum-running (possibly for the Kennedy family). A duplicate of the original was constructed and now takes tourists on rides around the south shores of Nova Scotia.
There are many interesting buildings in Lunenburg. The original layout of the "old town" contains well preserved wooden houses dating from the 18th century. Because of this the town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1 - The Lunenburg Academy (elementary school) was built in 1895 on Gallows Hill (since renamed).
2 - A typical well preserved home displaying the famous Lunenburg Bump (the 2nd story bay window above the front door from which the family watched for ships returning to port). These houses are usually painted with bright colours.
3 - The Lunenburg waterfront - the old town rises steeply above the docks.
There is plenty of wildlife around Lunenburg including deer, fox, raccoons, porcupines, and birds.
1 - the blue heron - this very patient bird will stand up to his knees in freezing water for hours waiting for a passing fish
2 - A nesting Osprey - a great sight to see when he is diving for a fish from several hundred feet in the air. Here he is landing on a 30 ft high nesting site constructed by the town.
3 - You can spot many puffins on Lunenburg's rocky offshore islands - a short boat trip from town.
Nova Scotia is noted for its high tides. On the Bay of Fundy, on the north shore of the province, the tides are 30 to 60 feet but in Lunenburg they are usually only about 6 feet. Still the 6 feet can make a lot of difference to the landscape every 6 hours and 20 minutes.
1 - Blue Rocks - a suburb of Lunenburg - some fishing shacks at low tide
2 - The same scene 6 hours later - the boats have been brought in for the night
3 - A stranded dory waiting for high tide at Blue Rocks.
Hurricanes rarely get this far north into colder waters but Nova Scotia is sometimes battered by gales and sometimes her ships get lost at sea.
1 - Lunenburg's Fisherman's Memorial - inscribed on the polished obelisks are the names of the hundreds of seamen and the dozens of ships that have been lost at sea
2 - A view from a local beach after the remnants of storm Noel (2007) had passed.
3 - The Ovens - a nearby granite cliff which holds many ocean-level caves open to the sea. On a calm day you can explore the caves by kayak. On a rough sea day the waves breaking inside the caves roar like cannon fire.
copyright 2007 W Miller, Lunenburg
