Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site (Louisbourg)

Journey back to the 1700s with a tour of a lively reconstructed fortress that illuminates pre-confederacy life on Cape Breton Island. Wander the five-hectare grounds and engage with locals in period dress—merchants, military men, fishermen, musicians, women in hoop skirts—every one of them willing to stop and share a story. See an impromptu minuet set to harpsichord music in the Engineer’s House. Sit down to a traditional meat pie or hot pea soup at Grandchamps Tavern or Hotel de la Marine. Learn the skills of open-hearth cooking; uncover the lost art of lace making. Feel the ground shake as cannons fire. Inspect the King’s Bastion Barracks. Watch history come alive. Welcome to the Fortress of Louisbourg, a National Historic Site of Canada and a spectacularly recreated fortified town set on the scenic Atlantic coastline. Appreciate the detail, connect with the tradition and time-travel to 18th century Canada.

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It was a bit of a bizarre sight to see our ship anchored just outside the walls of the 18th century fortress of Louisbourg! All the same, we enjoyed spending a day living life the old fashioned way. We took part in workshops, ate lunch at the local inn and even got to fire the noon cannon. In the evening, the mood turned more somber on the ship as Stephen Kakfwi, former Premier of the Northwest Territories and current Canada C3 participant, shared a video and a song with us about his time in residential school.

Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, Louisbourg: See 1,610 reviews, articles, and 1,132 photos of Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, ranked No.1 on TripAdvisor among 7 attractions in Louisbourg.

On Cape Breton’s rocky shoreline east of Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Fortress of Louisbourg brings you back into one of North America’s busiest 18th-century seaports. Founded by the French in 1713, this one-quarter reconstruction of the original French town and fortifications is the largest – and best – of its kind in North America, offering a wealth of experiences for visitors to enjoy.

Mingle with Louisbourg’s lively 18th century citizens, hearing their stories and tasting their food while soldiers march, cannons blast, children play and women mend clothes on a typical 1740s day in the French fortified town.

The Fortress of Louisbourg (French: Forteresse de Louisbourg) is a National Historic Site of Canada and the location of a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

The Fortress of Louisbourg, in Louisbourg, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia is the largest reconstruction project in North America.