Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: August 2024
Annapolis Royal is nestled between two mountain ranges in the Annapolis Valley along the shore of the Bay of Fundy. It played an important role in Canadian history and was one of the first European settlements in North America. It also served as Nova Scotia’s capital before Halifax became the capital in 1749. Many of the houses have been registered heritage properties and the city itself has been designated a National Historic District.
After spending the morning in Lunenburg we drove towards Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site where we planned to spend the night. The baby was still napping by the time we got to the park so we just kept driving to let her sleep. And that’s how we ended up in Annapolis Royal.
But before learning more about the history of the city, we went to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens to stretch our legs. The historic gardens are situated on seventeen acres and showcase gardening methods, designs and materials representing more than four hundred years of Nova Scotian history. There are several connecting walking paths that loop through the different sections of the gardens.
We strolled along the outer loop, exploring a few of the inner paths along the way. The dyke walk was unfortunately closed. The main path is wide and mostly gravel except for a small boardwalk through the Elephant Grass section. Some highlights include the Governor’s Gardens, Victorian Garden, Pine Forest and Rose collection.
The gardens also contain a reconstructed Acadian House from the early 1670s time period.
Afterwards we went to Fort Anne National Historic Site, the first national historic site in all of Canada. We started at the Officers’ Quarters Museum which contains a series of exhibits about the people who once lived here in the 1600s and 1700s, including the Mi’kmaq who were the first inhabitants of the region, and the historic fort that protected the harbour of Annapolis Royal.
Annapolis Royal was initially called Port Royal. It was a highly contested piece of land with multiple battles between the French and British. The site was attacked at least thirteen times and the area changed hands seven times between the French and British. Over the course of 170 years there were five forts built and remodelled. In 1710 it fell to the British for the last time and was renamed Annapolis Royal in honour of Queen Anne. The British governed here until 1749 until Halifax became the capital of Nova Scotia. At that point there wasn’t much need for the fort in Annapolis Royal.
Afterwards we wandered around the grounds where there’s a wide gravel path along the perimeter of the fort. The trail passes a few monuments along with some historic buildings, including the Powder Magazine, the only surviving building from the French.
The trail also passes a pair of Parks Canada Red Chairs overlooking the Annapolis River.
Once we looped back to the parking lot we drove through town before backtracking to Kejimkujik.
L
Love that little and the manicured gardens
Annapolis Royal is a lovely town. It was neat to learn more about it’s history and wander through the gardens.
What gorgeous gardens. I would love to visit this place as I am intrigued by the history. The thatched roofed cottage is awesome.
We’re always a bit reluctant to travel during the summer. But it was nice to see the gardens when everything is in bloom and to visit a few of the national historic sites in Nova Scotia that are typically only open during that time of the year.
Annapolis Royal looks like a delightful place for anyone interested in Canada’s early history. As a nature lover, I would delight in its natural beauty – I especially love the breathtaking views of the Annapolis River and the lush gardens. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Atlantic Canada has such an interesting history. While we learned about it in school, it’s so much better to visit these historic places in person to really appreciate the history. Taking a stroll in the gardens was a lovely way to spend our afternoon. Thanks for reading, Aiva. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
🥰🥰🥰
What a beautiful garden to explore! That cottage sure is picture perfect. Looks like you had a perfect day for it too.
The gardens were beautiful and it was nice to see so many flowers in bloom. Surprisingly it wasn’t too busy. It was hot outside, but there was a nice breeze and lots of shade.
We have been here before, but never visited the gardens. Thanks so much for taking us there Linda. A great piece of Canada’s history and a beautiful place to visit. Thanks for sharing. Allan
It’s too bad you haven’t been to the gardens as they’re quite lovely. Something to add to the list for next time. Visiting some of these national historic sites has been a great way to learn about (or remember) Canada’s history. Thanks for reading Allan. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. I’ll be planting my garlic later today. Last year I planted 75 cloves which wasn’t quite enough to last us to the spring, so this year I’m aiming to plant a few more.
So gorgeous post photos 🌷🙏👍🏻A very ideal place offering natural beauty 👌😍the historical buildings,
lush gardens with flora and fauna, the beautiful river and surroundings, stunning view 🌷👏thank you so
much for sharing and graceful wishes my dear friend 💞💐🍁🧚🏿♀️
Thanks so much for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It was nice to shake things up and explore the gardens instead of going for a hike. There were so many flowers in bloom which was really quite lovely. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
Thank you so much for likes my comments and most welcome with love 💕 🙏
Have a nice weekend dear my friend ❤️👏🍁
You as well! Cheers!
Absolutely Beautiful . Love the Powder building and the garden, Beautiful.
Thanks so much for your kind words. It’s a lovely little town and we enjoyed seeing some of the sights, especially since many of them were outdoors.
Love the garden. It is very nice 🙂
The gardens were beautiful and surprisingly not very busy. It was a lovely way to spend our afternoon. And baby M sure enjoyed being outside!
How fortunate that baby M was asleep and you decided to keep driving. Sometimes it’s the little things you stumble across along the way that are the highlights of a trip. It’s neat that parts of this fort remain and commemorate its history.
Oh I know. It’s such a struggle to get her nap in general. So we try not to interrupt her sleep otherwise the rest of the day could be a wright-off. We ended up exploring the trails in the park the next day instead which worked out well as it wasn’t nearly as hot outside.
We really enjoyed our visit there but didn’t know about the gardens. Next time.
Annapolis Royal is very charming. It’s too bad you didn’t know about the gardens as they’re really quite lovely. There’s always something to add to the list for next time! We felt the same way when we were in Nova Scotia. I’d love to return someday.
Annapolis Royal is very interesting and I love those gardens. Thanks for your beautiful photos and engaging post. That’s quite a tangled part of Canadian history.
We typically don’t like to travel in the summer, but it’s the best time of year to enjoy all the gardens and flowers. Plus many of the national historic sites are only open then. I remember learning about Canada’s early history in school, but there’s just something about visiting a place in person that makes it seem more real (and interesting).
It all looks very neat and tidy, especially the manicured topiary!
Our garden looks so shabby in comparison. But then again, I imagine it takes a lot of work to keep a garden looking so pretty and nicely manicured.
L, do you do the photography or is it K? Wonderful photos!
Thanks so much for your kind words. I typically take all the pictures while K patiently waits for me.
The garden is very beautiful! The Acadian house is cute, perfect fora bachelor pad!
They did such a lovely job with the gardens and all the walking paths. The Acadian House was pretty neat to see as well. While it wasn’t open, we could peek in through the windows to see inside. It’s interesting how people used to live in such smaller spaces compared to now.
Maybe this is how Tony Homes were born? People are downsizing their homes. I’ve seen this on TV programs. There is no need for a huge house.
Oh I know. And the bigger the house, the more stuff people tend to get to fill it up with. And that also means more cleaning and maintenance. There are times I miss my small apartment in Toronto. But I don’t actually miss living in the busy city anymore.
As a Minimalist, I agree. Too much stuff is not good. I’ve been to Toronto just once back in the early 1980s. I’m sure it has changed and grown a lot since then. Las Vegas is a big city but I stay in the northwest area. I’m on my bike ride at the moment, sunny and 84 today but the highs will drop to the upper 60s and lower 70s next week. Time to bundle up a little for the bike rides. 😂
Toronto has definitely changed. And the traffic is much worse!! I typically go in twice a week for work, but I’m currently on maternity leave so haven’t been to the city in about a year now. It’ll be weird going back.
Hope you had a wonderful bike ride and enjoyed the warmer weather. We’ve had an unseasonably warm fall which has been lovely. It’s starting to cool off though and I had to wear mittens and a toque on my walk yesterday. But hey, at least it’s dry!
Back to the stress, eh? It was a wonderful ride! I made it a two write, it was too nice to be inside. Next week our highs will drop to the 60s and 70 s. Brr!
Might as well take advantage of the nice weather while we can! And I’d take your cooler weather over ours!
Cool here is 40s at night!
That’s not bad at all, especially since it warms up during the day
Right but it’s cold in my bedroom! 🥶
The gardens are so lovely! It was interesting to read about the fort and the history. Great post 🙂
Thanks! I was never really a fan of history while in school, but I find it so much more interesting now that we travel. I was always a fan of gardens though and all the pretty flowers!
that’s me too, history was never my favorite until actually seeing the places where the history happened. The best history lesson comes from travel 🙂
Absolutely! All the more reason to travel! 🙂
I love the photos of the incredible gardens. Thanks for providing such detailed cyber tour!
Thanks for your lovely comment. Beautiful scenery, nice weather, interesting history and great company, what more could we have asked for!?
We have talked about going to this part of Canada, but so far only talk. I have appreciated learning about some of the places from you posts and look forward to reading more.
Thanks for your kind words. Atlantic Canada is very scenic and charming. And the people are so friendly and hospitable. You should definitely look into it some more.
Such a beautiful place, great photos and the special touch those magnificent red chairs.
Thank’s for share it Linda. Looks like you had a wonderful time.
Have a lovely weekend! Take care.
The gardens were a lovely spot to go for a stroll and enjoy all the summer flowers. And it’s always fun to stumble upon the Red Chairs. They’re often located at a nice viewpoint. We managed to do a bit of hiking this weekend. Hope you enjoyed the weekend as well. Cheers. Linda
I love the look of the gardens which to me seem to be inspired by the British style more than the French style. It’s neat to learn that Annapolis Royal was the capital of Nova Scotia before Halifax. Back to the gardens, I can imagine myself being drawn to those plants and flowers, probably in the end spending more time than I probably should.
It’s neat because the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens show both English and French influences. You’re absolutely right how the gardens themselves seem very British. The reconstructed Acadian House is a throwback to the French though. We could have easily spent the rest of the afternoon in the gardens, but we were also eager to check out Fort Anne. There just never seems to be enough time in the day!
Fabulous groundskeeping! 🤩💛🙌🏼🤗
Oh I know! I can’t even imagine how much work is involved to keep the gardens looking so neat and tidy!
What an incredibly picturesque place laden with history. I particularly like the Acadian House, while the views over the Annapolis River look like a prime vantage spot on a summer’s day.
There’s a bit of something here for everyone in Annapolis Royal. It was a hot summer’s day, but it didn’t feel too bad when we were by the ocean.
Those gardens are breathtaking! Thank you for sharing and as always, safe travels. 🌺
The gardens were lovely. It was nice to visit them during the summer when so many flowers were in bloom. Now if only my garden could look like that!!
Ha! I understand. 😌 Flowers are always a blessing. 🌷
Absolutely! While many of them are past their prime now that it’s fall, there’s a few still holding on.
The gardens are gorgeous, wow! I would love to visit and enjoy the beauty and history.
There’s so much history for such a small town. It was neat to learn more about it. And he gardens were also a really lovely spot to take a stroll.
The royal historic gardens are delightful and look a lovely spot to while away a few hours. The Acadian House is wonderful. I enjoyed reading about Annapolis Royal’s history, it’s incredible to think it changed hands seven times in such a short period of time.
I’m such a fan of gardens and typically look for them whenever we travel somewhere. The Acadian House was pretty neat. It’s amazing how they were able to live in such small spaces with even larger families compared to now. Nova Scotia has such a rich and interesting history. It was neat to learn more about it during our visit.
I’m sorry to have missed this historic gem during our own Halifax trip and loved your photos and recap of your visit. It looks so well maintained and I love the old homes so well preserved for present day study. And I love that you’re collecting all the red Muskoka chair spots all across the country!
The gardens are really lovely. I’d definitely recommend visiting this area of Nova Scotia. There’s a bunch of national historic sites including Fort Anne, Grand-Pre and Port Royal. It’s such a great way to learn more about Canadian history. And yes, it’s always great to stumble upon the Red Chairs. We were thinking about doing a Red Chairs Challenge at some point and try to visit as many as we can.
You’ve done a lot of the Red Chairs already and are well on your way!
You bet! Apparently there’s over 200 of them!
I have no doubt you’ll find all 200!
I do enjoy a good challenge!!
Annapolis Royal looks so interesting and its gardens very well laid out. I’d be interested to visit Fort Anne sometime to learn more about Canadian history. What a lovely day out Linda.
The gardens were a real treat to stroll through, especially on a warm summer’s day when everything was in bloom. Canada has a number of national historic sites like Fort Anne which are such a great way to learn more about Canadian history. They’re typically only open during the summer though, which is too bad.
Maybe we’ll get to Canada some day!
I don’t doubt it! You’d love it here!
Nice gardens.
I wonder what it was about that piece of turf that made it worth fighting over so often?
No kidding! The land itself was quite fertile and good for farming. It also had an abundance of natural resources such as furs and fish. It’s also located in a sheltered bay and was used as a home base for further explorations. The area was definitely more important to the French as it served as the capital of what they called New France
I’m a sucker for a garden so I would love exploring this beautiful place. And the view from your chairs is just so peaceful and calming
Oh me too! I typically look for gardens, greenhouses and conservatories whenever we travel somewhere. It was nice to visit in the summer when so many flowers were in bloom.
I also stopped off at Port Royal on my tour of Nova Scotia, and it’s such a place steeped in history. At each stop there’s a little more to learn. Surprisingly I don’t remember the garden, perhaps I ran out of time.
We didn’t have enough time to visit Port-Royal National Historic Site, which was rather unfortunate. Something to add to the list for next time. Parks Canada has done such a wonderful job of preserving and sharing the history of many of these historic sites in Nova Scotia.
Nice post 🌺🌺
Thanks so much for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had a wonderful time exploring Annapolis Royal and learning more about its history.
It’s a beautiful garden and a good combination of formal and informal – I really like that. In some of the photos, I can see that wedding photos can be taken there, while in other places, shorts and sandals will be the proper clothing. Yeah, the red chairs … I just thought the other day I’d ask you when you’re going to see those again!
The gardens are very lovely and would definitely be a fabulous spot to get pictures taken. It was nice to visit in the middle of the summer when everything was lush and so many flowers were in bloom. We can’t resist the Red Chairs. I’d love to be able to find them all. Apparently there are over 200 of them scattered across many of the national parks and national historic sites in Canada.
Thanks a lot for taking us there. Most of it could be in England or in Sweden, where we lived for quite a while.
Thanks for sharing
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
The gardens were beautiful and it was nice to see so many flowers in bloom. It was also neat to learn more about the history of this town and surrounding area. Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
What a fabulous post. I adore those gardens but the replica Acadian house drew me in. I knew about the history of the area but have never seen it and now I REALLY want to go. Bernie
I never used to be a fan of history while I was in school, but I find it so much more interesting when travelling and visiting historic places like this. Parks Canada has done such a wonderful job at so many of the parks and historic sites.
They have indeed done a great job. And we are lucky that they started early preserving large tracts of land and heritage buildings.
No kidding, especially given the cost of land these days!
Nova Scotia is on our bucket list and I so much enjoyed the virtual exploration provided by your words and photographs.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I hope you’re able to visit someday as Nova Scotia is very charming. The coastal scenery is beautiful and the people are so friendly.
especially the Bay of Fundy!!
Oh absolutely! The extreme change in the tide is quite astonishing to see. Hopewell Rocks is one of the most scenic spots in the Bay of Fundy to see it.
Unusual gardens with those sculptured bushes. They have done well to preserve the history of the area.
For sure. The gardens were very nicely maintained and manicured. It’s too bad I can’t keep my gardens at home looking that good!
The 1670s house reminds me of a cottage that Hanzel and Gretel woukd live in. It’s so middle of the forest, looking. So cool ,!!! I love gardens. Matt and I visited a rose garden when we went to Syracuse. The photo of the rose garden area reminded me of that. I love traveling. Great photos. I’m so happy you got to enjoy so m e beautiful gardens.
I’m such a fan of gardens as well and always look to see if there’s a botanical garden or something whenever we travel somewhere. I’ll have to keep the rose garden in Syracuse in mind. All this talk about gardens makes me eager for spring now!
I know what you mean !! I love spring 💜 spring and fall are my absolute favorites. Definitely check it out !!! It’s worth it !!
I just mapped it out. Syracuse is just under a 4 hour drive from where we live. So it’s totally doable for a weekend getaway
Yes!!!! 💕 💞 ♥️ I have a funny story. When Matt and I were there, we were looking for a Tim Hortons. The map quest had one listed. It turned out that the Tim Horton was replaced with a Burger King. We drove for a good twenty or thirty minutes before it dawned on us. We had a good laugh about it. We hadn’t had Tim Hortons and wanted to try it lol. We tried it in Canada, though. I enjoy the donut bites and their wraps and coffee
🙂 😀 😃
Oh no! That’s too funny! Glad to hear you managed to try Tim Hortons when you came to Canada. The timbits, or donut bites, are pretty tasty. They’re great little treats when we’re taking a road trip and want something sweet to eat.
They are !! I love the birthday cake ones, especially 😋
Those are my favourite as well. The chocolate ones are a close second.
Oooo chocolate ones ???!!! I have not tried those !!!!
Something to try the next time you’re in Canada 😉
Yes !¡