A Weekend in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay

Plan my Lunenburg weekend · What's on this weekend

Find a place to stay in Lunenburg

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Two days on the South Shore: a hilltop academy, a brewery kitchen, a distillery and a pub in Lunenburg, then a bakery, a gallery, a seafood kitchen and a brewery in Mahone Bay. Day 1 stays on foot in Lunenburg's Old Town. Day 2 moves up the shore to Mahone Bay's Main Street. It suits a late-season weekend, when a pub, a bakery or a tasting room is never far from the last one.

Start with a climb to the Lunenburg Academy on Kaulbach Street. The three-storey wooden building, painted red, black and white, stands on top of Gallows Hill and shows from most roads into town. It was Lunenburg's first National Historic Site, and the walk back down runs through the Old Town.

Lunch is at Shipwright Brewing Company Taproom + Kitchen on Montague Street, a brewery whose kitchen cooks pizza, poutine, burgers and a lobster roll.

On Lincoln Street, The Tin Roof Distillery makes bourbon-style whiskeys by resting the spirit on charred Nova Scotia woods, maple and cherry among them, along with vodka and gin. Order a tasting flight and compare the woods side by side.

Drive out along The Point Road to Blue Rocks, where fishing shacks still stand along the shore. Walk out to the water and back before dinner.

Dinner is at The Knot Pub on Dufferin Street. The kitchen runs through pub classics, burgers and sandwiches, with desserts made in house.

Find a place to stay in Lunenburg

Begin in Blockhouse at Boulangerie La Vendéenne on Route 325. It bakes sourdough and other breads, pastries and viennoiserie, cakes and tarts. Buy a loaf for home and a pastry for the car.

Then head into Mahone Bay for Northern Sun Gallery & Gifts on Edgewater Street. It sells jewellery, clothing, art and handcrafts, much of it made by artisans in the Maritimes.

Lunch is on Main Street at The Naked Oyster Seafood and Grill: haddock and fries, chowder, lobster rolls and oysters, with a children's menu.

Walk along Main Street to Saltbox Brewery, which makes small batches of beer, cider, soda and wine and pours them in its tap room. It has no kitchen and is happy for you to order food in.

Take a seat at Mug & Anchor Pub for the late afternoon, an English-style pub with 20 beers on tap.

Finish at Mateus Bistro, a small Main Street restaurant that cooks fresh, seasonal food from local farmers and fishermen.

• Old Town Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its streets are for walking in any month.
• Boulangerie La Vendéenne is in Blockhouse, a separate village on Route 325, so Day 2 starts with a drive before you reach Mahone Bay.
• Day 2 is a walk once you park: every Mahone Bay stop is on Main Street except the gallery, which is on Edgewater Street.

Got another weekend? Start in the city with a weekend in Halifax, or cross the province for a weekend in Wolfville.

Start from this plan, set your dates and swap any stop you like.

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