New Brunswick

Canada's only officially bilingual province lies between Maine and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is more than 80 percent forested. A vacation in New Brunswick takes you to the Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy, the Acadian beaches of the east coast, and the port city of Saint John.

Landscape and Location

New Brunswick, known in French as Nouveau-Brunswick, borders Quebec, Nova Scotia, and the US state of Maine. The interior is defined by forests, lakes, and the Saint John River. The south coast lies on the Bay of Fundy, whose tidal range is among the highest in the world. The east coast on the Northumberland Strait has warm beaches and dunes. The province is divided into counties and parishes, small administrative units such as Saint Andrews Parish, Saint Johns Parish, Moncton Parish, Paroisse de Shediac, and Paroisse de Bathurst, which include many rural communities. Roughly a third of the population speaks French, especially the Acadians in the north and east.

Cities and Towns

Fredericton, the capital on the Saint John River, has a historic garrison district, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and riverside trails. Moncton is the largest city and is bilingual, known for Magnetic Hill, where cars appear to roll uphill, and for the tidal bore on the Petitcodiac River. Saint John, Canada's oldest incorporated city, has a Victorian core, the City Market, and the Reversing Falls, where the incoming tide makes the river flow backward. Shediac calls itself the Lobster Capital of the World and has a giant lobster sculpture. Saint Andrews by-the-Sea is an elegant seaside resort with whale watching and a botanical garden.

Sights in New Brunswick

The Hopewell Rocks are flowerpot-shaped rock formations that you can walk around at low tide and paddle around by kayak at high tide. Fundy National Park offers hiking trails, waterfalls, and coastal forests, and the Fundy Trail Parkway runs along the cliffs. To the east are Kouchibouguac National Park with its dunes and lagoons and the Village Historique Acadien near Caraquet, which shows everyday life of the Acadians. On Tintamarre, the Acadian national holiday on August 15, people march noisily through the streets. The Fundy Isles of Grand Manan and Campobello, home to Franklin D. Roosevelt's summer residence, are further destinations.

Nature and Active Vacations

The Saint John River is ideal for canoe trips, and anglers fish for Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi and Restigouche rivers. Hikers will find the highest peak in the Maritimes in Mount Carleton Provincial Park. On the Bay of Fundy, boat tours spot fin whales and humpback whales, and in fall the maple forests turn brilliant colors. Cycling routes follow the Sentier NB Trail through forests and villages.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Lobster, mussels, scallops, and salmon dominate the cuisine, along with fiddleheads, young fern shoots in spring, and Acadian dishes such as poutine râpée, potato dumplings with pork. Ganong in St. Stephen is considered Canada's oldest candy maker. Moncton has the main airport, and a rental car is necessary. The best time to visit is from June to October, when the forests glow in fall.