Fortress of Louisbourg

The Fortress of Louisbourg is a quarter-scale authentic reconstruction of a 18th-century fortress that defended Cape Breton for years. Although the original structures were lost over time, unemployment in the 1960s provided the opportunity to restore the fortress to its previous glory in a newly-created national park. Millions of dollars were spent to reconstruct a quarter-scale model of the fortress and to provide work for the island's struggling inhabitants.

In modern times, the fortress is rated as the #1 place to visit in Canada by the country's premier travel magazine. The site is staffed between July 1 and mid-August by live actors, who, along with the restored structures, will provide you with an authentic experience of what life was like exactly 300 years ago when the fortress was founded in 1713. You will be able to stroll down cobblestone streets with period-accurate buildings, and, if you choose, to participate in military exercises that demonstrate what life was like in those times.