Halifax – city on the sea
A sophisticated gem, Halifax is an historic port city with a modern attitude. Its high student population keeps the culture young and vibrant, and its thriving tech, creative, and health sectors position the city as dynamic and competitive. At nearly 432,000 people, Halifax has more to offer than a city its size “should”. Incredible dining, creative microbreweries, live theatre and symphony, bustling cafés, and countless pubs make life here a constant urban adventure.
Treasured history
Founded in 1749, Halifax is a city with a fascinating history, and it’s on display around every corner. Walk this city’s narrow streets, and you’ll constantly stumble upon the kind of historic buildings that didn’t manage to escape the bulldozer in other cities. It’s a “living history” that pervades the culture of this place to this day. Plus, countless recognized historic sites remind residents that this city has a storied past.
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Nova Scotia’s Waterfront
Halifax’s once-industrial waterfront has, over the decades, been transformed into a 10-block long public square. A wonderful place for residents and visitors to gather for food, drink, entertainment, or just people watching, it’s said to be one of the longest urban boardwalks in the world. Follow the water’s edge, and experience everything that makes a port city so fascinating and beautiful.
A haven for foodies
Don’t feel like cooking? Perfect. Few cities indulge your culinary desires like Halifax. Whatever you’re in the mood for, Halifax has more than a few of it. Fine dining, casual bistros and pubs, ethnic restaurants from around the globe, fish and chip stands, food trucks – each is a short walk from each other. And the myriad food-inspired festivals and celebrations that span the year give you even more opportunities to taste everything Halifax has to offer.
"My favourite Halifax food spots include Hallycraft for the authentic Nigerian food taste, Two If By Sea for the tastiest baked goods and LeRouge for dinner and good music celebrating a special occasion.”
Dr. Yinka Akin-Deko
Family Physician, Cole Harbour
“In Halifax, I love Tart and Soul for the tastiest baked goods. Martin’s Kitchen is a little outside the city, but amazing for a special night out. In Dartmouth, Bagel Montreal Style makes a great sandwich and The Canteen is great for meetings, or evening out with colleagues.”
Dr. Heather Hunter
Hospitalist, Dartmouth
“Dartmouth has some great places to eat. People come from Halifax and beyond to eat at places like Oxalis (great food with excellent service); Pleasant Street Diner for the fish and chips, as well as restaurants like the Wooden Monkey, Canteen, and Jamieson’s.”
Dr. Shan Mathew
Family Physician, Dartmouth
Life after dark
More bars and pubs per capita than any other city in Canada. It’s a phrase that’s often used to describe Halifax (and, yes a handful of other cities vying for that title!) Regardless of the exact numbers, this is a city in which night owls thrive. Halifax is an amazingly alive city, at all hours, and at night in particular the energy rises. Live music; a thriving symphony; outdoor festivals and events; patios that spill into the streets; nighttime here is electric.
Dartmouth
Often called Canada’s City of Lakes, Dartmouth boasts 20+ excellent lakes for world class boating and water recreation. In this rapidly growing community, you'll find rich heritage, fine dining, arts and culture, dog parks, a Nordic spa, quirky cafés and more, only a short ferry or drive over the bridge to Downtown Halifax.
Eastern Shore
The yin to Halifax’s yang, the Eastern Shore is a natural playground. Here you’ll find pristine wilderness, authentic fishing communities, and sandy beaches stretching as far as you care to stroll. Welcome to the off-the-beaten-path adventures that make living on the Eastern Shore such a pleasure.
Take on the waves
Get your wetsuit on (this is the North Atlantic, after all) and hit the surf. Nova Scotia is one of the world’s top cold water surf hot spots. Summer to winter, conditions are just right for incredible surfing – yes, even in the dead of winter. Spend the day at Lawrencetown or Martinique beaches with your own board or rent one locally.
Windsor-West Hants
“Charming” only begins to describe the communities, festivals, and people of the Windsor-West Hants region of Nova Scotia – “fun-loving” is another. Besides being considered the birthplace of hockey, Windsor is also well known for, of all things, giant pumpkins. And there are few things more fun than watching (or helping) people turn thousand-pound pumpkins into boats that are then raced in the lake!
A hill in the backyard
Just 45 minutes from Halifax, adventure junkies get their fix at Ski Martock, the second-biggest hill in the province. In the winter, this bustling ski resort boasts a terrain park for snowboarding and freeskiing, and serves visitors with a quad chair lift and two T-bars. In the summer, mountain biking and Canada’s largest aerial zipline/ropes obstacle course park keeps heart rates elevated!