2024 Crab Fest

Admission $10.00/person at the gate (children 12 years & under admitted free!). Dinner Tickets must be purchased separately! Gate opens at 12 noon! Delicious Crab dinners will be sold starting at 12 noon (while quantities last – recommended to come early!) and will cost $20.00 each! No backpacks or knapsacks allowed on site after 8:00pm. No animals allowed on site except Service Animals! Amanda’s Island Bistro Food Truck, Beaver Tails and Stephens Hot Dogs & Sausages will be available during the festival! Bounce houses, balloon animals, face painting & other children’s activities will take place during the afternoon from 1:00-4:00pm! Refreshment tent will also be available! For more information contact Cindy at 733-2351, Jennifer at 733-2255 or Leo at 578-1988   You can check out our website here thecrabfest

The Music is All Around Surrender to the enchanting sounds of a Cape Breton fiddler in a setting so intimate that you feel that it’s only you and the musician in the room. You are in for an entertaining evening at the renowned Louisbourg Playhouse, where multi-talented performers will leave you in no doubt as to why Cape Breton is famous for its music. Every evening at 8 o’clock the Playhouse stage comes alive. From the raucous, toe-tapping Scottish jigs and reels to the mellow and haunting Celtic ballads, you feel the magic of a culture that goes back centuries. A unique theatre-in-the-round, the Louisbourg Playhouse is noted for its great acoustics. Locals and travellers alike are captivated by performances infused with the timelessness and warmth of Cape Breton culture, ending their day with a smile on their face and a song in their heart. To learn more about the Louisbourg Playhouse visit http://www.louisbourgplayhouse.ca

The S & L Railway Museum offers guided and unguided tours of an 1895 station and freight shed. The Sydney & Louisburg Railway Museum in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Sydney & Louisburg Railway and the broader history of the Louisbourg area. The museum features:

• Original Buildings: The main station and freight shed, both dating back to 1895.
• Rolling Stock: Includes two passenger cars, a first-class coach, a second-class coach, a caboose, a freight car, and an oil tanker.
• Artifacts: Displays related to railway technology, marine artifacts, and the industrial and fishing history of Louisbourg.
• Model Railway: A working model of the railway line housed in the original freight shed.

The museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and admission is by donation. There is also an archival area, period Sydney and Louisbourg railway rolling stock, as well as railway and marine artifacts for you to explore.

Set Your Personal Time Machine to 1744! Enhance your sense that ‘the past is present’ in the many different opportunities to connect with the Fortress of Louisbourg. Imagine the nerve-wracking sounds of the 18th-century fortified town under siege. See a child in period clothing and imagine how it would feel to be a child, or a parent, in the unforgiving circumstances of the time.   Be captured by the style of the buildings or the French social customs and stories of the 18th century It has been proven time and again that, if you embrace the experience, you will indeed be moved. Scan the walls and streets and enjoy a fascinating glimpse of a ghostly presence. Feel those who stood on those same streets three centuries past. Be captivated by colourfully costumed animators and the most friendly and knowledgeable guides who invite you to reach that point where you realize what a special and unique a place the Fortress of Louisbourg truly is.

Louisbourg Lighthouse is an active Canadian lighthouse in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. The current tower is the fourth in a series of lighthouses that have been built on the site, the earliest was the first lighthouse in Canada. The French military founded the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, naming it in honour of Louis XIV. They did so by transplanting settlers there from the evacuated Terre-Neuve colony. The harbour had been used by European mariners since at least the 1590s, when it was known as English Port and Havre à l'Anglois, the French settlement that dated from 1713. The settlement was burned the first day the British landed during the Siege of Louisbourg (1745). The French were terrorized and abandoned the Grand Battery, which the British occupied the following day. It was returned to France in 1748 but recaptured by the British in 1758. After the capture in 1758, its fortifications were demolished in 1760 and the town-site abandoned by British forces in 1768. A small civilian population continued to live there after the military left. English settlers subsequently built a small fishing village across the harbour from the abandoned site of the fortress. The village grew slowly with additional Loyalists settlers in the 1780s. The harbour grew more accessible with the construction of the second Louisbourg Lighthouse in 1842 on the site of the original French lighthouse destroyed in 1758. A railway first reached Louisbourg in 1877, but it was poorly built and abandoned after a forest fire. However the arrival of Sydney and Louisburg Railway in 1894 brought heavy volumes of winter coal exports to Louisbourg Harbour's ice-free waters as a winter coal port. The harbour was used by the Canadian government ship Montmagny in 1912 to land bodies from the sinking of the RMS Titanic. In 1913 the Marconi Company established a transatlantic radio transmitting station here. Incorporated in 1901, the Town of Louisbourg was disincorporated when all municipal units in Cape Breton County were merged into a single tier regional municipality in 1995.

It’s fun to see where dinner starts!

See daily catches of lobster and crab being offloaded at the Louisbourg waterfront and then, dine in one of the local restaurants understanding just how your culinary treat came to your table. Each day (around noon to 2 p.m.) lobster boats return to the harbour after a morning of fishing the rocky Louisbourg shores. From the lighthouse, the Lighthouse Trail or Simon Point , you may even get a chance to watch the boats haul their traps close to shore between daylight and noon. Crab boats fishing further offshore (8 to 80 miles from port) land their catches at various times throughout the day. There are no designated viewing locations for observing the landings but there are numerous private wharves and one public wharf where workers and fishermen are happy to tell you about the fishery and provide unique picture-taking opportunities. Please remember that you enter any of these wharf areas at your own risk so always exercise caution and courtesy. For more information visit https://www.louisbourgseafoods.ca

Louisbourg Beaches Today: Love not war! Fall in love with Kennington Cove beaches, the site of major troop landings by the British in 1745 and 1758! Relax on either of the sandy beaches tucked into a sheltered cove just 10km (6 miles) from your Louisbourg accommodations. There is always rolling surf and the most refreshing ocean water to tumble in. Had the Redcoats brought along their swimsuits and picnic lunches, the story of the mighty fortress of Louisbourg might have taken a different direction! Anson's Cove Beach is a picturesque coastal retreat offering a serene and scenic beach experience. This tranquil beach stretches along the shoreline, showcasing its natural beauty and historical significance. With its calm waters and panoramic views, Anson's Cove Beach provides a peaceful haven for relaxation and recreation. Kennington Cove and Anson’s cove are open for the season! The gate is open from 9am-9pm. Follow the tide information because prime beach experience is at low tide. This beach has no lifeguards. Keep an eye out for rip currents, and marine life.

WAVES & SMILES Breathe in the fresh smell of the ocean and the sweet, warm scent of spruce and juniper as you wind along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Our three signature trails are part of the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. They have many tales to tell and beautiful scenic viewscapes to share. THE LOUISBOURG LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL This 3km (2 mile) loop, beginning at the lighthouse, is a groomed trail. A more rugged extension ungroomed with pathways leads to Lorraine Head. This is an additional 3 km (2 mile) hike, moderate to challenging in terms of the footing but with no hill climbing. Historical significance: This treacherous stretch of coastline has seen many shipwrecks over the years including a British frigate, the Feversham 1711, a treasure-laden French ship Le Chameau 1725 and passenger ship the Astraea 1834 with only 3 survivors and 248 lives lost. SIMON POINT TRAIL This 4-kilometre (2.5 mile) loop beginning about a mile beyond the Fortress of Louisbourg on the road to Kennington Cove Beach, is an ungroomed trail consisting of easy paths and some rough rocky shores (beach rock)with one cove is locally known as “the graveyard” because of its shallow depths and proliferation of abandoned lobster traps. Historical significance: It was a British encampment site during the sieges of 1745 and 1758. Positioned along the shore of Gabarus Bay , it was the marshalling area for some 150 vessels during the 1758 siege of Louisbourg. OLD TOWN TRAIL This 2.25km (1.5mi) loop on the western shore of Louisbourg Harbour takes you through the area known as Old Town,. About 1.5km (1 mile) from the center of the village Louisbourg, it has great views of Louisbourg Harbour and the islands and leads close to the gates of the Fortress of Louisbourg. Historical significance: from the 1700s to the 1960s it was home to originally French inhabitants and later to a close knit community of mainly Irish Catholic descent.   Once one of the busiest ports in North America, you can imagine this harbour in front of you literally filled with French ships of sail and smaller fishing vessels. ROYAL BATTERY TRAIL The Royal Battery Trail at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site is a short, looped coastal walk that offers beautiful water views and a glimpse into 300 years of history. The trail is approximately 1.1km long and traces the ruins of an 18th-century French fortification. As you walk, you can enjoy the salty breeze from Louisbourg Harbour and listen to the sounds of the lapping waves. It’s a great spot for birding, snowshoeing, and running, and it’s generally considered an easy route. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. MI'KMAQ TRAIL The Mi’kmaq Trail in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, is a beautiful and educational experience. This 1.8km out-and-back trail is located at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. It’s generally considered an easy route, taking about 28 minutes to complete. The trail offers a unique opportunity to learn about the Mi’kmaq culture and history in the region. It’s one of the only forested interpretive walks at the site, featuring informative signs and exhibits along the way. The best time to visit is from May through October, and it’s a great spot for bird watching, running, and walking. EAST WHITE POINT TRAIL The East White Point Cove Trail is a scenic and relatively easy 3.7km out-and-back trail located near the Fortress of Louisbourg. This trail is popular for running and walking, offering beautiful views of the coastline and opportunities to spot wildlife, including seals. The best times to visit are from April through October, and dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash. WEST WHITE POINT TRAIL The West White Point Cove Trail is a beautiful 5.3km out-and-back trail located near the Fortress of Louisbourg. It’s generally considered an easy route, making it perfect for birding, hiking, and running. The trail offers stunning views of the coastline and is a great spot for observing wildlife, including seals that often play near the coast. The best times to visit are from April through October, and dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash. The trail mostly runs along a sandy beach, so you can enjoy the salty breeze and the scenic beauty of the area. RUINS TRAIL AT CHURCH COVE The Ruins Trail at Church Cove is a scenic and historic trail located within the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. This 1.8km out-and-back trail is generally considered easy and takes about 21 minutes to complete. The trail runs along the coastline, offering views of the Louisbourg Harbour and Church Cove. Along the way, you’ll encounter several historic cemeteries, adding a touch of history to your walk. It’s a great spot for a quick escape to enjoy the salty breeze and some peaceful scenery.