Halifax & Sydney - The Route

Few places in the world offer Nova Scotia's mix of modern blessings – from pristine wilderness to sophisticated city streets. Nova Scotia also offers a great variety of meeting places, museums, arenas, spas, country inns, hotels, lodges, resorts and private clubs.

Halifax's laid-back, friendly maritime atmosphere defines the city but it's the harbour that remains its soul and casts a spell over all who visit. Ice-free all year round, the harbour extends 16 kilometres from its seaward approaches and flows through the narrows under two bridges that connect Dartmouth and Halifax. It is one of the largest natural harbours in the world.

Clipper crews and their friends and families will be able to wander around the beautiful historic buildings housing urban coffee shops, funky boutiques and sidewalk cafes. Halifax’s waterfront, with its boardwalk, casino, farmer's market and artists' studios, is one of 'Canada's Coolest Neighbourhoods' according to enRoute Magazine.

The warm and friendly Haligonian welcome isn't the only one crews can expect. The yachts will also visit Sydney on Cape Breton Island. Cape Breton Island - seat of ancient culture and hub of the Celtic music revival! For centuries, the Scottish and French settlers of tree-covered mountains and magnificent valleys nurtured their heritage in relative isolation. Today, the world flocks to historic villages, world-class golf courses, and Celtic music festivals in the island's stunning setting.

Witness Cape Breton's proud seafaring heritage as you cruise to international boating destinations along the world famous Bras d'Or Lakes, Canada's largest inland sea.

Join in the old-time dances as bagpipers and fiddlers celebrate Gaelic culture amidst the quiet beauty of the Ceilidh Trail. Surround yourself with the splendor of the Cabot Trail's bold highlands, where moose and bald eagles abound and humpback whales play in the shimmering waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Tour the world-class historical reconstruction of Fortress Louisbourg, wander through centuries-old Acadian villages, and descend into a coal mine beneath the ocean floor on the Marconi Trail.

Nova Scotia is a province of rolling hills, flowing rivers and sharp cliffs. Its landscape and climate has often been compared to that of Scotland. How fitting, then, that Nova Scotia is in fact Latin for New Scotland.