Louisbourg is a small village wrapped around a quiet harbour, and home to the Fortress of Louisbourg — a one-quarter reconstruction of the French fortified town that controlled the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the early 1700s. It's the largest historical reconstruction project of its kind in North America, and a full day inside is easy to fill.
The village outside the fortress has lobster shacks, a black-sand beach, and the start of the Louisbourg Lighthouse trail — a spectacular cliff walk from the site of the first lighthouse in Canada.