Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It truly is picture perfect. So much so that Old Town Lunenburg is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. How many charming seaside fishing villages can make that claim? It was just five months ago, after spending 10 days on Prince Edward Island, Canada, that we made our way to Lunenburg. Little did we know we’d be mesmerized.

Lunenburg

To tell the truth I’m not quite sure how we settled on visiting Lunenburg, but what a gem. If we have any regrets its that we didn’t stay long enough. And, now we’re left wanting more. More rambles along the waterfront, more view gazing from our favorite Adirondack chairs on the piers, and more strolling up and down every block taking in all there is to see.

Atlantic View Motel & Cottages

I tend to overthink when it comes to booking accommodations. We are, shall we say, particular? But, we know what we like and we know what makes us comfortable. We ticked all the boxes when we chose to book a cottage at the Atlantic View Motel & Cottages. Again, our only regret is that we didn’t stay longer. We are already plotting a return to Lunenburg and we wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

Let me preface our review of the Atlantic View by saying this is not a sponsored review. We just flat out loved our stay and want to tell the world about this idyllic little seaside resort. We booked for three nights, and after the first day we knew we should have booked a week. The cottage was perfect for the two of us and we could lie in bed and look out at the sea just across the road.

We walked along the shore several times while there. We relaxed in the Adirondack chairs and watched sail boats silently drift by in the distance. And, each morning we took in the views from our adorable little porch. It takes less than five minutes to drive to Lunenburg, but it feels as if you’re a world away. It is indeed, picture perfect.

Start Walking

Like we do whenever we visit someplace new, we start walking. We explore all of the nooks and crannies and side streets and alleyways when walking. There are a lot of hidden and not-so-hidden gems in Lunenburg. Of course, there are a multitude of shops that line the streets offering everything from souvenirs to clothing to ice cream. It’s a shoppers paradise. If shopping isn’t really your thing though, there are other ways to entertain oneself. Plus, there is golfing, cycling, hiking, and boating. For purposes of this post though, we’re focusing on the historic core of Lunenburg.

Highlights of Lunenburg

• If you like to sip spirits, stop by the Ironworks Distillery. They offer a tour and a few sips. Somehow we didn’t capture the moment. I don’t have a taste for bourbon, but Abi enjoyed a few sips.

• One must visit St. John’s Anglican Church. The original church dates back to 1754 and it is the second oldest Protestant Church in Canada. Once burned to the ground the church was rebuilt in an exact replication of the original. We shared the story of the painted stars above the altar, which we found fascinating. You can read the story here.

• Sit and stare out to the sea from one of the many colorful Adirondack chairs well-placed on the waterfront piers. Better yet, grab a great burrito from Rascal’s Burrito Bar or some BBQ tacos from Smoke Pit, pull up a chair and enjoy the good eats with a view from the pier. It doesn’t get much better.
• Play 18 holes of golf at the beautiful Bluenose Golf Club with panoramic views of Lunenburg just across the bay. Or, pull into one of 45 serviced sites at the Lunenburg RV Park, a picturesque destination.

• Walk the waterfront. It’s quite easy to walk from one end of Lunenburg to the other, just follow along the waterfront. To go a little bit beyond, pick up the walking trail at Falkland Street. It’s a short scenic walk that leads to Linden Avenue and the waterfront, or vice versa. Then find your favorite spot on the pier and just sit and embrace the moment.

Fun Fact

We are big fans of the Netflix series, “The Sinner” staring Bill Pullman. Imagine our delight when not long after returning from our Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia road trip, we tuned in to Season 4 of “The Sinner” and discovered it had been filmed in Lunenburg. It was too much fun to recognize so many places in the series. It made watching much more real.

If You Go

If you find yourself in Lunenburg, and really you should, we’ve given you the highlights of this little bit of paradise in Nova Scotia. Yes, it’s a long (long) drive from the US, but oh my gosh it is so worth it. Next time we go, we’ll think about taking a ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine or St. John, New Brunswick to eliminate some of the drive time. UPDATE: In 2024 we returned to Nova Scotia and we did take the ferry.

We were so content to just embrace the charm and peacefulness of Lunenburg that we didn’t venture far. Although, we did stop at Peggy’s Cove on our way to Lunenburg, and we made a short trip to Mahone Bay, both are wonderful and nearby. Maybe next time we’ll make a point of exploring a bit more. But then again, maybe not.