Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, Halifax (must see)

The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk is a walking path that follows Halifax Harbor. The boardwalk is lined with shops, historic properties, and tour boat operators. It is an excellent place for shopping, dining, getting some exercise, or people-watching.

Begin at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where exhibits explore Nova Scotia’s long relationship with the sea. A few minutes farther south, you will reach Bishop’s Landing, a waterfront complex of restaurants and shops. On the boardwalk in front of it are some of Halifax’s best-known pieces of public art: the so-called Drunken Lampposts. Created by Chris Hanson and Hendrika Sonnenberg, Get Drunk, Fall Down shows one lamppost collapsed on the pier while another bends toward it, while the nearby Fountain appears to spray water into the harbor.

Continue south through the newer Cunard District and toward the Halifax Seaport. Farther along is the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, located in the former immigration terminal through which generations of newcomers entered Canada. Nearby, the waterfront takes on more of the character of Halifax’s working port.

Just beyond Pier 21 stands the Cunard Center, a converted waterfront cargo shed now used for exhibitions, concerts, and large events. By this point, the busy downtown waterfront has gradually given way to the historic seaport, completing a walk that connects Halifax’s maritime past with its modern harbor life.