Canadian Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in the Atlantic provinces of the country. It is distinguished by a rich marine history, connected with the winning location and status of one of the best natural harbors in the world. True, according to US standards, the city is considered small: its population does not reach half a million. But here there are two oldest churches in Canada, Canada's largest mobile market, the oldest local government in Canada. And then there is the largest tattoo festival in the world.

How to get to Halifax

Halifax International Airport named after Robert L .Stanfield is located 35 km north of the city .It is the largest airport in the coastal provinces, which accepts flights from New York, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Philadelphia and London .In addition, during the summer season, airplanes from Frankfurt am Main (Condor) and Reykjavik (Isledandar) fly here .From the airport to the city can be reached by shuttle bus, which will take half an hour at a good time and an hour at an unsuccessful .The train to Halifax can be reached directly from Canadian Quebec and Montreal .

A bit of history

Halifax was founded in 1749 as a British military outpost. At that time, it was the world's second largest and easily accessible natural harbor. During the Seven Years' War with the French and later, during the Civil War in the United States, Halifax was used with might and main to grow as a maritime and trade base.

In December 1917 in the harbor of Halifax Norwegian cargo collided with a French ship carrying 2,500 tons of explosives. The result was the Galifax explosion, which killed 2,000 people and razed the northern half of the city to the ground. This was the biggest explosion caused by human activity before the beginning of the atomic age. But the city quickly rebuilt and already served with all its might to the Allies in World War II: from here the British convoys across the Atlantic were sent.

In the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Halifax was the same port where a wave of immigrants from Europe came tearing to Canada. Today the city is a lively seaport, economic and cultural center of Eastern Canada.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Halifax

The Citadel of Halifax ("Fort George") is a classic fort in the form of a star, which today is declared part of the national treasure of Canada .It is located on the top of the hill of the same name, and from the fort, when it was only built, an ideal strategic view of the harbor was opened .Today there is a museum and a small garrison, which is used mainly for ceremonies .Visiting the fort is an obligatory event for any tourist in Halifax, especially during the celebration of Canada Day (July 1) .The museum is open from May to October, and during the same period at noon you can witness a solemn cannon shot, although the territory can be walked all year .

One of the most pleasant places to walk in Halifax is, of course, an embankment with many historic buildings, shops and restaurants. There are various ships in the harbor, and from there many excursion boat tours begin in the summer season. In particular, those who wish can go on an excursion to the floating amphibian "Harbor Hopper".

"Pier 21" has recently become known as the National Museum of Immigration. This is a historical place, an analogue of the New York Island Ellis, through which millions of visitors once passed. Nowadays it is a modern museum with extensive exhibitions devoted to immigration.

Template: Siran PB2 One of the most remarkable urban symbols is the snow-white Clock Tower .The idea to place it here belonged to the British prince Edward, the Duke of Conte, who wished to leave the tower in the city, going back to England in 1800 .The tower consists of three tiers, and its upper high part has the shape of an irregular octagon .It is erected on top of a rectangular squat base on the first floor .The whole construction stands on the slope of the Citadel Hill, facing the present Brunswick Street .The dial of the watch is marked with Roman numerals, and for reasons of aesthetics, figure 4 is depicted there not as IV, but as IIII .The clock mechanism, executed by famous British masters, began to count the time in 1803 g ., and in 1990 .The tower was completely restored .

The Atlantic Maritime Museum is located in downtown, near the water .His collection includes artifacts associated with the Titanic disaster, and with the explosion of 1917 .In the harbor moored the ship "Arcadia", a hydrographic service ship, launched in 1913 .and canned .Before "Arcadia" you need to walk a little from the museum building, and in the summer months the ship can be explored .In addition, behind the museum stands the ship of Her Royal Majesty "Sackville", the last escort corvette of the Flower class from the convoys of World War II .It can also be viewed at least with a guide, even without .

The old Halifax cemetery is located at Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road .It appeared in 1749 g ., together with the city itself, and was used until 1843 g .At that time, the cemetery marked the outer border of the city, so it's easy to imagine where Halifax ended up in those old days .And right in front of the cemetery stands the church of St. Matthew - the oldest unitary church in Canada .It opened its doors in 1859 .The second significant church is Halifax - St. Paul, the oldest Anglican church in the country .It was built in 1750 .and is located on Argyll street ("Grand Parade") .

The oldest house where the legislative power of the province was located is the Provence House, on Hollis Street. It housed the first British overseas self-government body. An excellent example of Georgian architecture, this house was completed in 1842. Today, visitors can learn more about the current state of affairs with the authorities in the province, and the history of this institution.

Art Gallery New Scotia can not boast of large sizes, but here you can see an excellent selection of works by local artists working in folk, hyperrealistic or Aboriginal styles.

Events of Halifax

In August on the embankment there is a festival of street troupes "Basker". This is definitely worth seeing: it features funny skits, breathtaking acrobatic sketches and dramatic sketches, music sounds, street food is sold, and the atmosphere is most emotional.

Annually in the beginning of September the city hosts the International Air Show of Novaya Scotia. This is a splendid chance to look at the aerobatics of the selected links of the national air forces. National heroes in this sphere, like our "Swifts" or "Knights", are considered "Canadian Thrush", whose performance is an obligatory part of the holiday.

And every July in the city is the Royal New Tattoo Tattoos Festival. This is the world's largest show of tattoos, held indoors. Guests are entertained by music, theater, dancing, acrobatics, military parades, competitions and much more.

Finally, in Halifax, there is a festival of ships - though not every year. During the festival, about 30 ancient and unique (usually still huge) vessels gather in harbors from around the world.

Kitchen of Halifax

In fact, as experts say, there is no such thing as the "kitchen of Novaya Scotia" .Nevertheless, there are some specific dishes here, and they should be tried .Many restaurants in the city specialize in seafood, but the only thing that makes sense here is to order mussels .They are really quality, inexpensive and often enter the snack menu .Tasty scallops are also tasty: they are better than in many US cities, the size of a golf ball and do not have a fishy flavor .The best choice to have a snack is the "sea pie" .But local lobsters are too expensive, unless you buy them directly from fishermen from a car on the street, to cook yourself .