Shelburne NS Nova Scotia Canada
1
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Ponant (1 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender. Ships anchor in a deep, remarkably sheltered natural harbour, and tenders bring passengers directly onto Dock Street.
Yes. Nine blocks of heritage buildings stretch along the water, between Dock Street on the harbour side and Water Street on the shopping side, with no steep hills and no heavy traffic.
Because no power lines cross the sky: only wooden facades, hand-painted signs and harbour water between 18th-century warehouses. Film crews do in fact set up here regularly.
The three waterfront museums, grouped as Museums by the Sea, take an hour or two. Add a stroll along Water Street and, if time allows, the short drive to the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Birchtown.
The Ross-Thomson House and Store, opened in 1785 and the last surviving colonial-era shop in Nova Scotia; the Shelburne County Museum, in the 1787 Nairn house; and the Dory Shop, where craftsmen still build these fishing boats in front of visitors.
An interpretation centre honouring a long-overlooked chapter of history: in the late 18th century, Birchtown was home to the largest free community of African origin outside Africa. It draws on period records including the Book of Negroes. Allow a short drive from downtown.
In 1783, thousands of Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution landed here and founded a town that was briefly among the most populous in British North America. Water Street has been the commercial heart ever since.
Pan-seared scallops and lobster in season, at the waterfront tables. An ice cream cone tastes best sitting on a capstan, facing the sailboats tugging at their moorings.
The Canadian dollar and English. Cards work in the shops, but keep some cash for the craft galleries and the blacksmith's shop.
Yes. Distances are short and flat, the Dory Shop holds attention with its craftsmen at work, and the old wharves where fishing nets dry can be explored freely.
