Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/1471704
NB 74 since the Loyalists sailed in. Evidence is found in its 18 th century waterside sites and the grand edifices erected by later seafarers during the "Golden Age of Sail." The harbour's significance is further apparent in Market Square, a museum and entertainment complex fashioned from waterfront warehouses, and the City Market which was built by shipwrights. Even the Harbour Passage Trail and Harbour Station arena are named in its honour (www.discoversaint john.com). Straddling the muddy Petitcodiac River, Greater Moncton has surpassed Saint John to become the province's most populous urban centre. Originally nicknamed the "Hub City" by virtue of its central location, it now doubles as a hub of tourist activity because Greater Moncton is home to attractions like the Magic Mountain Water Park, Casino New Brunswick and Magnetic Hill which, in addition to the eponymous hill, boasts a popular zoo, winery and amphitheatre (www.moncton.ca). THE GREAT OUTDOORS New Brunswick is blessed with superlative natural attractions: the world's highest tides, some of the oldest mountains and second biggest whirlpool. These sites are, quite literally, phenomenal. Yet what makes the outdoors truly "great" is that it has something for everyone. The Fundy Trail— known for its precipitous cliffs, aromatic evergreens and sublime views—is a case in point (www.fundytrailparkway.com). Ultra-fit hikers can spend days traversing this part of the Trans Canada Trail. But, thanks to an adjacent parkway, key portions are accessible to children and the physically challenged, too. Equally important is the fact that nature in New Brunswick is always close at hand, even in urban areas. Visitors to Saint John can splash out in Rockwood Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the country, or go wild by the seaside in the Irving Nature Park without leaving the city limits. Fresh air aficionados in Fredericton, similarly, can stroll, bike and rollerblade on a riverfront path dubbed "The Green" or get out on the water by boat. Moncton, meanwhile, puts sand connoisseurs in reach of both the delicate Bouctouche dunes and bustling Parlee Beach. HERITAGE AND CULTURE Occupied by Indigenous Peoples for more than 3,000 years, New Brunswick inherited two other cultures from its early French and English settlers. Indoor/outdoor venues such as Metepenagiag Heritage Park, Village Historique Acadien and Kings Landing Historical Settlement—celebrating Mi'kmaq, Acadians and Loyalists, respec- tively—help establish the historical context, as does the engaging New Brunswick Museum in Saint John. Local culture here, however, is a living entity that survives outside museum-like settings. Eclectic artisans, many of them con- centrated around Fredericton, put a contemporary spin on age-old crafts. Poets and playwrights uphold a rich literary tradition, performing in coffee houses and theatres. Musicians thrive as well, which explains why, along with almost every imaginable form of modern music, you can hear hypnotic First Nations drumbeats, British folk songs and Cajun-style fiddles in pubs and at concerts or festivals province-wide. MUST SEE, MUST DO Hopewell Cape's tree-tufted islands always look lovely, but their full beauty is only revealed when the tide ebbs, transforming them into megaliths looming above the bare ocean floor (www.thehopewellrocks.ca). Special Events https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/ festivals-events JANUARY – FEBRUARY • FROSTIVAL, FREDERICTON MARCH • MAPLE, THE FIRST TASTE OF SPRING, KINGS LANDING, PRINCE WILLIAM JUNE • ST. MARY'S (SITANSISK) FIRST NATION POWWOW, FREDERICTON JUNE – JULY • CAMPBELLTON SALMON FESTIVAL JULY • AREA 506 FESTIVAL, SAINT JOHN • CANADA'S IRISH FESTIVAL, MIRAMICHI • LAMÈQUE INTERNATIONAL BAROQUE MUSIC FESTIVAL • NEW BRUNSWICK HIGHLAND GAMES FESTIVAL, FREDERICTON • SHEDIAC LOBSTER FESTIVAL AUGUST • CHOCOLATE FEST, ST. STEPHEN • FESTIVAL ACADIEN DE CARAQUET • MIRAMICHI FOLKSONG FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER • ATLANTIC BALLOON FIESTA, SUSSEX • HARVEST JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL, FREDERICTON FORT BEAUSÉJOUR • PARKS CANADA