From Wikitravel

Halifax [1] is the capital city of Nova Scotia and the largest city in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. The city's origins and rich maritime history derive from a strategic location and one of the world's great natural harbours. In the 19th and early 20th century, Halifax was the entry point for European immigration to Canada. At present time, Halifax is a busy Atlantic seaport and the economic and cultural hub of Eastern Canada.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By car 2.4 By bus 2.5 By boat 3 Get around 4 See 4.1 Parks 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Work 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 10 Drink 11 Sleep 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid-range 11.3 Splurge 12 Contact 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out

Understand

Get in

By plane

The Halifax International Airport [2] is located about a half hour drive outside of Halifax. It is the biggest airport in the maritime provinces, with direct daily flights from Toronto, Montreal, Newark, Ottawa, Calgary, and limited service to a number of regional and holiday destinations. Direct connections to Europe are provided by an Air Canada flight to London's Heathrow airport with a stop in St. John's, Newfoundland; Thomas Cook Airlines also provides a direct flight to London's Gatwick airport. To get into Halifax there is a shuttle bus that leaves every hour most hours of the day and stops at all the major hotels in Halifax and Dartmouth. $16 one-way, or $28 for a return ticket. Alternately, there are cabs that charge a flat rate of $53.

By train

VIA Rail [3] train station located in the south end of Halifax has daily trains leaving for connection trains in Montreal and Toronto to the North East US.

By car

Halifax is connected to the rest of Canada by provincial highways 101, 102, 103, and 104. Highway 102 runs between Halifax and Truro, where it connects to Highway 104 (the Trans-Canada Highway). Going west on 104 takes one to the New Brunswick border, and then onto Maine, Quebec, or Prince Edward Island. It's about 2 hours from Halifax to the New Brunswick border; there is a $4.50 toll at the Cobequid pass. Going east on 104 takes one to Cape Breton. A ferry service in Sydney connects Nova Scotia with Newfoundland. Highway 103 connects Halifax with the South Shore. During the summer, a high-speed ferry connects Yarmouth (3 hours from Halifax) with Bar Habor, Maine. Highway 101 connects Halifax with the Annapolis valley. A ferry service connects Digby (about 2.5 hours from Halifax) with Saint John, New Brunswick.

By bus

HRM's Metro Transit [4]

All public transport in the metro area costs a flat $2. Ask for a transfer ticket when you board, it allows you further travel for 2 hours.

By boat

Get around

Make sure you are wearing good walking shoes, as it is a very hilly city. Or alternatively you could take public transit. There are many reliable buses that run between various locations in the city. As well, you can take a bus to Dartmouth, Bedford or Sackville. A ferry service also operates between Halifax and Dartmouth.

See

• The Halifax Citadel [5] : an old fort on a hill overlooking the city and the harbour. Presently, the citadel is a national historic site and home to a museum and a small, ceremonial garrison. A must see, especially during Canada day (1 July) celebrations.
• Pier 21 [6]: a historic waterfront building that now houses an exhibit related to Canadian immigration.
• 

  

  The Acadia exhibit at the Halifax waterfront.
  The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic [7] : located on the downtown waterfront. The collection includes exhibits and artifacts related to the sinking of the Titanic and the devastating 1917 Halifax explosion. The CSS Acadia [8], a hydrographic survey ship built in 1913, is an ongoing conservation project. The Acadia is moored a few meters from the museum building; tours are available during the summer.
• Old Burial Grounds: located on Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road. Some of the gravestones date from the 1700s. It is a spooky and beautiful spot. General Robert Ross a British army officer who participated in the Napoleonic War and the War of 1812. He led the army which burned the American capital and is thus credited as the first commander to defeat a full United States army in the field and burning the white house. Thus inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. In September 12 1814 An American sniper shot him through the right arm into the chest. The general's body was stored in a barrel of 129 gallons (586 L) of good Jamaican rum and shipped on the British ship HMS Royal Oak to Halifax, Nova Scotia where his body was buried on September 29, 1814.
• Nova Scotia International Air Show [9] : a yearly event, taking place in early September. This is a great chance to see the the aerobatic teams from a number of national air forces. The Canadian Snowbirds [10] perform every year. In past years, the show was held at the Shearwater airforce base, but in 2005 the venue was moved to the Halifax International airport.

Parks

• Point Pleasant Park (most southern point of the city). Open most days from sunrise to sunset. A large peaceful park that serves as a vantage point to see the mouth of the harbour and into the Atlantic ocean. Was once a dense woods has since been left with patches of devastation and clear-cut from Hurricane Juan in 2003. It still remains a popular place to walk dogs and stroll.

Do

• Harbour Tours, Theodore Tugboat and other boats leave from the wharf.

• Harbour Hopper[11], Guided tour of Halifax and harbour in an amphibious vehicle. A bit gimmicky, but informative.

• Alexander Keith's Brewery Tour[12], Tour of Alexander Keith's Brewery. Will be more interesting if you are a regular drinker of the beer.

• Busker Festival, Visit in August for the festival of street performers along the waterfront. It's a must see, with amazing acts, some grand and awe-inspiring, some quaint, others funny. A very lively time of year along the harbourfront, with music and stalls selling food and other goods.

• Get Out of the City, Explore the countryside surrounding Halifax. St. Margaret's Bay is only half an hour away; a gorgeous bay, almost as big as the harbour itself, but without the cities. Instead, it is dotted with islands and small towns. There are beautiful beaches, such as Queensland, Cleveland, Black Point and others, just before the town of Hubbards. The drive along highway 3 (2 lane, coastal) is well worth the twists and turns, for it is beautifully scenic, especially on nice summer days. At the southwestern tip of the mouth of the bay is the famous Peggy's Cove: stunning bare granite rocks and cliffs with its historic and still-used lighthouse. Worth the drive; nice gift shops, too. While sunsets are gorgeous and peaceful on clear summer evenings; the best times to see Peggy's Cove are the stormier days, when the waves crashing against the cliffs send salt spray high into the air. Better to get out there early in the day to avoid tour buses.

Learn

Halifax is home to 3 major universities. Students make up a significant proportion of the population of certain city neighbourhoods.

• Spread over 3 campuses, Dalhousie University [13] is the largest educational institution in Nova Scotia. With 15,000 undergraduates and a broad range of graduate and professional programmes, Dalhousie counts itself as one of the leading universities in Canada.
• Located in the south end of the city, Saint Mary's University [14] is somewhat smaller. St. Mary's is renowned for its business school, strong alumni support, and athletics.
• Located just off the peninsula, along the Bedford highway is Mount Saint Vincent [15], a smaller university with a focus on undergraduate studies and teacher training.

Other educational instituions include:

• The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design [16] is a university offering programs and degrees related to the visual arts and design.
• The head of the world-wide Buddhist Shambhala organization is located in Halifax. The Halifax Shambala Centre [17] offers courses in Buddhism, particularly methods related to the the Shambhala tradition.
• The Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts [18] provides performing arts education for children and adults.

Work

Halifax is home to numerous universities, having one of the highest concentrations in Canada. Dalhousie University is the biggest in Atlantic Canada and is a major regional employer. The city, being the provincial capital, is home to thousands of provincial government employees. The military is a significant employer. The city is home to Maritime Forces Atlantic HQ and and the navy's East Coast fleet. Among the military installations around the city are Windsor Park, Stadacona and HMC Dockyard.

Buy

• Farmers' market, in the Old Brewery downtown. Saturday mornings.

Eat

Budget

• Trident Cafe pick up any book to read in this bookshop cafe, then either purchase it or put it back!
• Steve-O-Reno's Just off of Spring Garden Road
• Coburg Cafe Located on Coburg Road, near Dalhousie Univeristy. Great indie music, students come here for group study or just to hang. Great hot chocolate and a $2 mammoth slice of carrot cake.
• Pizza Corner 3 different pizza restaurants on 3 corners of an intersection. Good cheap pizza and donairs.
• Split Crow Long-standing Pub with late week and weekend entertainment and cheap food. "Power Hour" brings in the crowds for cheaps drinks (3 middies for $5).
• Your Father's Mustache Pub Food - Located on Spring Garden Road
• Thursty Duck Pub Food - Located on Spring Garden Road
• Kings Palace Chinese Food - Located on Quinpool Road
• Mexico Lindo Authentic Mexican Food 3635 Dutch Village Road
• Hala's Pizza and Doniar [19], a charming and cozy pizza restaurant - takes pride in its homemade dishes. Located at 117 Kearney Lake Rd. Wedgewood Plaza in Halifax.

Mid-range

• Fireside - Meals are reasonably priced, atmosphere is cosy and EVERYTHING on the menu is worth eating. The cocktail menu is discounted on Martini Mondays.
• Il Mercato - Good Pasta. Have the lemon tart for dessert.
• Economy Shoe Shop - Go on Jazz night (usually Monday) and eat Nachos.

Splurge

Château Briand, fine European cuisine in the historic properties on Granville Street / Fid an authentic French restaurant located on Dresden Row above Spring Garden Rd. / Da Maurizio's an Italian restaurant located on Lower Water St. inside the Brewery Market / Bish

Drink

There are a large number of good cafes, pubs, and other eateries all throughout downtown. Of particular note are those on Granville St.

• My Father's Mustache for a good atmosphere and decently priced food.
• Liquor Dome A block of interconnected pubs with cheap food and cheap beers.
• Rogues Roost is a warm microbrew pub on Spring Garden. You can order a tasting plate which will get your a sample of 6 of their brews. Live music some nights, they also have an open-mic night. It is connected out the back with Little Havana, a small Cuban-themed pub/restaurant.
• Dome/Cheers/Attic Three different establishments all linked together. Customers pay cover for one of these and have access to all three. Cheers is a bar atmosphere which features live bands. The Attic is somewhat of a combination of a bar and nightclub featuring a large amount of sitting area and a few small dance floors. The Dome is a standard nightclub with a large dance floor. Sunday nights are very popular at the dome as liquor is available at one dollar per drink.

Sleep

Budget

• Hostelling International located on Barrington Street
• Dalhousie University Dorm Rooms 6136 University Ave.
• Mumford Bed & Breakfast 7015 Mumford Road. An English-style B&B with just two rooms. $85

Mid-range

• The Garden Inn 1263 South Park Street. $100
• Halifax Marriott Harbourfront 1919 Upper Water Street. Housed in the former Halifax Casino building. $170.
• Waverley Inn 1266 Barrington St.

Splurge

• The Lord Nelson 1515 South Park Street. $250 and up.

Contact

Stay safe

Cope

Get out

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