Halifax, Canada: Nova Scotia's Harbour City, Where History Runs Deep

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is the standout attraction in Halifax and should be at the top of the list. It contains the world's largest collection of artifacts related to the RMS Titanic, extensive exhibits on the 1917 Halifax Explosion (one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, which leveled the north end of the city), and a well-curated section on the history of sailing and fishing on the North Atlantic. The museum is about 10 minutes' walk north along the boardwalk from the cruise terminal.

The Halifax Citadel, a star-shaped hilltop fort, commands views over the entire harbor and city. Costumed interpreters fire a noon cannon (the Noon Gun has fired every day since 1856, with only a handful of exceptions). The fortification is the fourth built on the site and dates to the 1850s. The walk up the hill from the waterfront takes about 20 minutes. The view from the ramparts over the harbor, the Dartmouth shore across the water, and the Georges Island lighthouse is the best single panorama in the city.

Peggy's Cove is the most-photographed spot in Nova Scotia — a cluster of weathered fishing shacks around a lighthouse on bare, glacier-smoothed granite rocks at the edge of the Atlantic. It is 42 kilometers southwest of Halifax by car (about 45 minutes) and at peak season (July-August) attracts more visitors than the small village can absorb. The lighthouse and rocks are open and free. The village has a few gift shops, a restaurant, and one of the most dramatic coastal settings in eastern Canada. Worth the drive despite the crowds.

The Halifax Explosion memorial at Fort Needham Park marks the epicenter of the 1917 disaster, which killed roughly 2,000 people and injured 9,000 more. The park is about 20 minutes' walk north of the cruise terminal. The bells in the memorial tower ring every December 6th, the anniversary of the explosion. Quiet and often overlooked by visitors who spend the day on the waterfront.

Lobster is the signature ingredient in Nova Scotia and Halifax's restaurants take it seriously. The oysters from the Northumberland Strait and the local craft brewery scene (Garrison Brewing is visible from the boardwalk) are also worth exploring. The Public Gardens — an ornate Victorian park two blocks up from the waterfront — is a pleasant alternative to the harbor-front crowds on a warm afternoon.