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Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, is astonishingly lovely: It is a land of rocky coasts, rugged mountains and peaceful valleys, all surrounding a vast, brackish inland sea known as the Bras d'Or (Arm of Gold) Lake. The best way to experience this island is to drive (or, even better, be driven) along the Cabot Trail, a 185-mi/298-km scenic highway that circles the island's north coast.

Cape Breton is the most popular tourist destination in Nova Scotia, and once you've been there, you'll understand why. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell, a longtime resident of Baddeck, put it this way: "I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all."

Must See or Do

Sights—Seeing the Cabot Trail, especially in autumn; observing pods of whales frolicking in the ocean or bald eagles soaring over Bras d'Or Lake; watching virtuoso fiddlers and step dancers in action all over the island.

Museums—Stepping back in time at the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Highland Village Museum or the Cossit House Museum; perusing the exhibits and then exploring an actual mine shaft at the Cape Breton Miners' Museum.

Memorable Meals—Devouring fresh lobster almost anywhere; savoring Acadian delights at Le Gabriel Restaurant; enjoying signature fries (without ketchup) at Fuzzy's Fries; picnicking along St. Peter's Canal.

Late Night—Hanging with the locals at a traditional ceilidh; dancing till you drop at a square dance; taking in a fiddle concert at The Barn or Red Shoe Pub; sampling single-malt Glenora whiskey on the Ceilidh Trail.

Walks—Strolling along the historic streets of Sydney's North End; hiking any of the 27 trails in Cape Breton Highlands National Park; taking a walk organized by the Sydney Mines Heritage Museum and Fossil Centre.

Especially for Kids—Going wild at Two Rivers Wildlife Park; having a "eureka" moment at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site; taking a kayak ride; splashing out on the Gulf of St. Lawrence Beach.

Geography

History

Before the first Europeans arrived, Mi'kmaq tribes lived on the shores of Cape Breton Island. Primarily hunter-gatherers, they moved with the seasons to fish, pick wild plants, and hunt deer and caribou. The first European to see this area was probably explorer John Cabot, who landed in Aspy Bay on the island's north coast in 1497, claiming the land for England. The French followed closely behind, and for more than a century and a half, England and France would battle for control over Nova Scotia as a whole.

After being forced off the mainland in 1713, French forces responded by building a fortress at Louisbourg to protect their colonial interests and defend the entry to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. But the massive complex fell twice to the British, once in 1745, and again in 1758.

Cape Breton Island, along with most of Canada, was eventually ceded to England by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Soon after, waves of immigrants began arriving: Loyalists from the new U.S., displaced Highland Scots (until recently, there were residents whose first language was Gaelic, and you can still hear its influence in local speech patterns) plus impoverished people from central Europe, Russia and the Caribbean.

Many of these newcomers were drawn by the promise of work in the coal mines. Cape Breton is rich with coal—the French first extracted it in the early 1700s—and for generations, Islanders fed their families through dangerous, back-breaking work as miners and, later, as steel-workers. When the coal and steel industries faltered in the mid-1900s, residents suffered greatly. But Cape Breton is now beginning to take advantage of other industries, attracting call centers and high-tech companies, and boosting its tourism.

Potpourri

Visitors are awed by the island's dramatic highland landscape. Locals are more nonchalant: They like to say, "On the first day, God created Cape Breton. On the second day, He threw rocks at it."

Little wonder Cape Breton Island feels like a different world. The island was accessible only by boat until 1955, when a 1-mi/1.6-km causeway spanning the Strait of Canso finally linked it to the mainland.

Ciad mile failte, the Gaelic saying on signs around the island, means "one hundred thousand welcomes."

The word "ceilidh," Gaelic for "visit," once referred to the musical entertainment offered to visiting family and friends. Now they're public affairs.

Cape Breton is a center of Shambhala Buddhism. Devotees flock to Gampo Abbey, a monastery above Pleasant Bay, to take retreats and visit the elaborate Stupa of Enlightenment.

The bald eagle may be the U.S. national symbol, but large numbers of the celebrated bird call Cape Breton home. Hundreds of pairs make their nests in the tall trees along the shore of Bras d'Or Lake.

Fiddles are quite big in Cape Breton. You'll see the world's largest outside the cruise terminal in Sydney: Strung with steel aircraft cable, it weighs about 10 tons and stands 60 ft/18 m tall.

Cape Breton is famous for lobster, but not all of it is fresh, however. In 2009, a local fisherman hauled in a fossilized lobster claw that is believed to be between 300 million and 350 million years old.

Giants aren't myths in Cape Breton: A 19th-century one lived there. Angus MacAskill, who measured 7 ft, 9 in/2 m, 23 cm tall, traveled with circus impresario P.T. Barnum. A small Englishtown museum honors him.

Location

An increasingly popular cruise-ship stop, Cape Breton is visited by ships on summer and early-autumn sailings along the eastern U.S. and Canadian seaboard. Most ships dock on the eastern (Atlantic) side of the island at Sydney. A few drop passengers off in Ingonish, about two hours north, so they can ride down the Cabot Trail from Ingonish and meet their ship in Sydney. Though most cruise ships aren't in port long enough for passengers to explore the entire Cabot Trail, there's usually enough time to get a sense of the island's beauty and the complicated cultural history of its people.

Smaller vessels may tie up at Louisbourg, the site of a reconstructed French fortress on the southeast coast, or at Baddeck, the upscale resort community on Bras d'Or Lake.

Sydney is located on Sydney Harbour at the mouth of the river of the same name. If your ship docks there, you'll disembark at the Sydney Maritime Terminal, which houses the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion (phone 902-564-9775; http://www.portofsydney.ca). In addition to a number of retail boutiques carrying everything from souvenirs to sculpted art pieces, the pavilion hosts a crafts market for all cruise-ship visits. A passengers-only ceilidh called "The Spirit of the Fiddle" is also staged there when ships are docked. Other available services include Internet stations, a video theater, a snack bar and free access to the Cape Breton Island Tourism Exhibition Centre in the upper level of the pavilion. Outside, the World's Largest Fiddle (the port's icon) makes for a lasting impression of this port.

The city's historic district borders the dock, and directly in front is the Esplanade, a thoroughfare that runs along the harbor. Taxis line up in front of the wharf when a ship is in port. Public phones are located outside the terminal and throughout Sydney.

You'll find a tourist information booth in the terminal, staffed by knowledgeable professionals who can help you arrange a rental car or a walking tour, and provide you with brochures and maps. The main tourist office is at 20 Keltic Drive. It's about a 10-minute drive south of the terminal via King's Road. Phone 902-539-9876.

If your ship docks at Louisbourg, you can find a bank, post office and some small gift shops a few blocks inland. The town's main attraction, the Fortress of Louisbourg, is a short distance south of the dock. The tourist information office at 7495 Main St. is a six-minute walk from the port. To reach it, walk inland to Main Street and turn right. Phone 902-733-2321.

If your ship docks in Baddeck, you'll disembark in the center of the village, a short walk uphill to the banks, shops and cafes of Chebucto Street. A free shuttle is usually provided from the dock to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. The visitors center is located at 454 Chebucto St., a five-minute walk from the dock: To get there, head up the hill, take the first left, and walk to the intersection of Chebucto and Twining streets. Phone 902-295-1911.

Shore Excursions

Standard shore excursions include a guided walk in Sydney's historic North End; a full-city tour that takes visitors through the North End, the downtown, out to the Fort Petrie Military Museum via Whitney Pier and to Colliery Lands Park; a half-day tour of the Fortress of Louisbourg; a half-day tour to the village of Baddeck and the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site; or a daylong tour of the eastern side of the Cabot Trail (to Neil's Harbour and back). Some operators also offer tours to the Highland Village in Iona and sailing on Bras d'Or Lake.

Ships that dock in Louisbourg offer tours to the Fortress, and those docking in Baddeck offer tours to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, plus a local ceilidh at one of Baddeck's charming inns.