Limestone gives Kingston its colour and its nickname. The "Limestone City" has stood guard for two centuries at the strategic spot where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence and where the Rideau Canal ends. Briefly the capital of the Province of Canada, from 1841 to 1844, it has preserved from that era a remarkable concentration of 19th-century buildings, fortifications and military traditions. For Great Lakes cruise passengers, the port call has a rare charm: you step ashore right in the historic centre, just a few blocks from everything.

First Steps in the Historic Centre

Ships drop off their passengers at the edge of Confederation Basin, facing City Hall, completed in 1844, whose dome signals the ambition of a city that then saw itself as a lasting capital. Behind it, Springer Market Square has welcomed producers since the early 19th century, making it one of the oldest public markets in Ontario; on market days, flowers, vegetables and cheeses are sold under the umbrellas. Princess and Ontario streets are lined with limestone façades, cafés, bookstores and pubs with a student vibe, kept alive by nearby Queen's University.

Fort Henry and the Martello Towers

On the heights commanding the entrance to the St. Lawrence, Fort Henry, completed in 1837, remains the centrepiece of the city's defences. Its casemates, its demonstrations of military drills in period uniform and its view of the lake make it the most popular outing of the port call; the taxi or shuttle ride is short. These fortifications, along with the Martello towers that dot the waterfront, notably Murney Tower and Shoal Tower, are part of the Rideau Canal site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A simple stroll along the water lets you spot several of them.

In the Footsteps of the First Prime Minister

Kingston was the hometown of John A. Macdonald, Canada's first head of government. Bellevue House, an Italianate villa surrounded by gardens where he lived in the 1840s, can be visited with Parks Canada guides who hide neither the achievements nor the darker sides of the man. Those interested in penitentiary history will prefer the former Kingston Penitentiary, opened in 1835 and closed in 2013: guided tours of its wings and yards, often led by former staff, are among the most memorable of their kind in the country.

The River of a Thousand Islands

From Crawford Wharf, right downtown, sightseeing boats set out for the Thousand Islands, the scattering of granite islets crowned with pines and summer homes that marks the birth of the St. Lawrence. The shortest cruises last an hour; the longest venture deep into the archipelago. Check the ship's all-aboard time before booking, then sit back and enjoy: views of the channels, miniature lighthouses and smugglers' tales set the pace of the cruise.

A Tasty Break

The local food scene is surprisingly dense: the city claims one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per capita in Canada. Between visits, a patio near the market or an ice cream shop on Princess Street fits the bill perfectly; local brewpubs pour craft beers just steps from the port.

At departure time, the carillon of the municipal building sometimes accompanies the ship's manoeuvres. Kingston then slips away just as it appeared: compact, elegant, confident in its history. Passengers continuing on to the Thousand Islands or Montréal realize they have just passed through the turning point of the voyage, the exact spot where the Great Lakes become a river.