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7529 MAIN ST
Louisbourg,
Nova Scotia
B1C 1A0
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Nova Scotia Tourism Region : Cape Breton Island
Description From Owner:
- The seaport was first known as Havre à l'Anglais. In 1713 the French chose the place as the site for a major military base but in 1745 the fortress was captured by a force of New Englanders supported by a squadron of the British Royal Navy.
- The Treaty of Aix-La-Chappelle ceded the fort back to France but it was recaptured by the British in 1758 under Major-General Jeffrey Amherst.
- The fortress was destroyed in 1760. In 1961, Parks Canada began an authentic reconstruction program.
- Thousands of visitors come annually to be welcomed by soldiers, government officials, clergy, artisans and women and children simulating life as it was in 1745. Even the food served here is from period recipes.
- The Town of Louisburg was incorporated in 1901 and that spelling was used until 1966 when, with the approval of CPCGN and royal assent by the Lt.-Gov. of Nova Scotia, the original spelling was restored.
- With permission from 'Nova Scotia Place Names' David E. Scott 2015
Address of this page:
http://ns.ruralroutes.com/Louisbourg
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The Fortress Of Louisbourg
The Fortress at Louisbourg is a one-quarter recreation of a 300-year-old town with high walls and impressive gates, gardens, homes and lively taverns with 18th-century cuisine.
It is the largest historic reconstruction project in North America. The original settlement was made in 1713 and called Havre à l'Anglois.
The fishing port grew to become a major commercial port and strongly fortified town. By the mid-1740s Louisbourg was one of the most extensive and expensive European fortifications in North America.
The fortress was supported by smaller garrisons on Ile Royale at present-day Englishtown and St. Peters.
The fortress had two major weaknesses that allowed the English to capture it in 1745 and again in 1758. It had been built on low-lying ground overlooked by nearby hills and designed to repel sea-based assaults, with relatively weak defences against a land-based attack.
After its capture in 1758 the fortress was destroyed by British engineers.
Food and beverages based on 18th-century recipes is served in three period restaurants. A modern snack bar is also available. At the bakery you can buy a soldier's daily ration of bread. There are guided tours by costumed interpreters, beaches, hiking trails and a gift shop. Three hours is the recommended time to tour the 62 restored buildings and earthworks.
Frigate's Wreck Altered Course Of History
The development of Colonial French Canada suffered a major setback in 1725 when the frigate Le Chameau, ‘the camel,' was wrecked off Cape Lorembec near Louisbourg.
The ship carried many members of the French aristocracy who were to have been the elite leaders of France's colonies in North America, and in cash, several years' worth of funds for the North American colonies.
All 316 passengers were lost in the wreck; 180 bodies were recovered and buried in a mass grave.
The ship broke in two and it was not until the 1960s that the stern section, which contained the huge cache of coinage, was located. Only some of the treasure has been recovered to date.
Louisbourg Playhouse is one of the most unique entertainment venues in Nova Scotia.
Live theatre and Cape Breton music is presented in a 17th century-style theatre. Gift shop.
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