Visitor Information
Craggy coastline, salt air and friendly locals are the perfect backdrop for a visit to Louisbourg. Our seaside town has been called a place “where the past gently brushes against our present day” thanks to the presence of its mighty Fortress. Visitors have marvelled at this special place for decades and we are pleased to invite you here for a spectacular celebration.
How to get here
Louisbourg is located on the southeast coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is easily accessible by road, sea and air. If you are travelling by car, there are two entry points to the Island - the Canso Causeway at Port Hastings and car ferries travelling from Port-aux-Basques and Argentina, Newfoundland, to the Marine Atlantic terminal in North Sydney. Bus service is also available through Acadian Lines and air travel through the Sydney Airport provides several flights each day.
Road Directions
Travel through Nova Scotia and cross the Canso Causeway onto Cape Breton Island. Take either Route 4 (through St. Peters) or follow the TransCanada Highway 105 through Baddeck to North Sydney and take Highway 125 to Sydney. From either route, once you arrive in Sydney, take exit 8 on Highway 125. Driving time from Sydney to Louisbourg is 30 minutes.
An alternate route is the scenic and coastal Marconi Trail, Route 255, from Glace Bay. Driving time for this route is approximately one hour.
Travel Distances to Louisbourg
Cabot Trail (St. Ann's): 1 hour and 15 minutes
Canso Causeway: 2 hours
Sydney Airport: 40 minutes
Alexander Graham Bell Museum (Baddeck): 1.5 hours
Cape Breton Miners Museum: 50 minutes