Sited on a peninsula between two harbours Lunenburg (pop. 2.800) is the prettiest,
most colorful and most interesting town in Nova Scotia. It features one of the best preserved
examples of an 18th century British colonial town plan in North America, although most buildings
standing today are from the 19th century, and some of the old wooden clapboards and shingles are
replaced by plastic imitations.
Lunenburg's 'Old Town' is a 'UNESCO World Heritage Site' since 1995 (one of only two cities in
North America to enjoy that status). It made the Lunenburgers, who started the restoration and
preservation of their town in the 1970's, very proud.
Among the first settlers in June of 1753 were some 1450 German and Swiss protestants.
In fact German was spoken here well into the 1800s. Even today you'll find many German names
in the Lunenburg phone book. Those first immigrants and their decendants made the town into a
premier fishing port and shipbuilding center. You can still see much of that history today.
.