Things to do in Sydney
All the pleasures of Sydney, Nova Scotia, are right outside our front door - here are just a few of the many Sydney attractions you can enjoy:
Cape Breton Island Named #1 Best Island to visit in the Continental
United States and Canada 2008
Number One Island WOW!
Travel and Leisure magazine has named Cape Breton Island the #1 best island to visit in the
continental United States and Canada, They have also named Cape Breton Island #10 Island
in the World to visit. read more
Cape Breton Island
Seat of ancient culture and hub of the Celtic music revival - today the world flocks to historic villages, world-class golf courses, and Celtic music festivals in Cape Breton Island's stunning setting. Colorful and cultured - delight in the sights and sounds of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia's masterpiece.
Join in the old-time dances as bagpipers and fiddlers celebrate Gaelic culture amidst the quiet beauty of the Ceilidh Trail. Surround yourself with the splendor of the Cabot Trail's bold highlands, where moose and bald eagles abound and humpback whales caper in the shimmering waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Stroll the grassy shores or cruise to international boating destinations along the Bras d'or Lakes Scenic Drive.
Tour the world-class historical reconstruction of Fortress Louisbourg. Wander through centuries-old Acadian villages, and descend to a coal mine beneath the ocean floor on the Fleur-de-Lis and Marconi Trails.
Historic Sydney:
Jost House 1897
54 Charlotte Street
(one block from Cambridge Suites)
Once the home of a prominent merchant, this building shows the evolution of a wooden dwelling over two centuries, featuring unique marine display and special collections. Open May 15 to October 31.
St. Patrick's Museum 1828
87 Esplanade
(same Street as Cambridge Suites)
Sydney's oldest Roman Catholic Church, now a museum of local memorabilia, is a good place to start a tour of Sydney's North End. Site of an old burial ground. Open daily, June to September.
Cossit House 1785
75 Charlotte Street
(one block from Cambridge Suites)
The oldest house in Sydney stands much as it did when the colony's Anglican garrison chaplain built it. Resorted with costumed guides and authentic 18th century furniture. Open daily June 1 to October 15. For more information, click here.
Lyceum 1904
225 George Street
(2 blocks from Cambridge Suites)
An opera house worthy of Sydney's heyday, it now houses the Cape Breton Center of Heritage and Science. Changing local and visiting exhibits, Museum Gift Shop, open year round, Tuesday to Saturday in the winter, and Monday to Saturday in the summer.
All the above sites are within easy walking distance of one another. Guided walking tours of downtown Sydney may be arranged by calling 539-1572.
Fortress of Louisbourg
National Historic Park
(a 30 minute drive from Cambridge Suites)
The largest historical reconstruction in North America, Louisbourg is a faithful recreation of a 250-year-old town. Here you'll find looming walls and massive gates, quaint homes and formal gardens, comfortable inns and noisy taverns. A hundred guides and costumed staff wait your visit. Mingle with the upper class. Watch the children at play. Discuss business with a merchant. Get to know a fisherman. Discover what life was like in 18th century New France.
After a full day talking with the soldiers, artisans and other "citizens" of Louisbourg, make your way down to the quay for a filling snack or a hearty 18th - century meal. Louisbourg re-creates not only the look, but also the texture and mood of another century. It's the feeling you get when you hear the crack of musket fire and the latest local gossip. It's also the smell of freshly baked break; fish drying on "flakes", and wood smoke from the fireplaces. Louisbourg is truly a world-class experience, a return in time you'll always treasure.
Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
Baddeck, Nova Scotia
(a 40 minute drive from Cambridge Suites)
Here you can explore the amazing world of a lifetime of invention that has touched all of us. You're in for a pleasant surprise because the telephone was only the beginning of Alexander Graham Bell's life-long pursuit of knowledge and invention. Plan to spend a minimum of two hours in this accessible facility where interactive displays, artifacts, models and an extensive photo collection provide an entertaining experience for everyone.
For more information on the sites of Historic Sydney, click here.
Picnic facilities are available on the beautiful grounds overlooking the Bras d'Or lakes where Alexander Graham Bell and his associates made history. The Site is located at the east end of the village of Baddeck at 559 Chebucto Street (Route 205); take Exit 9 from the Trans-Canada Highway 105.
The Cabot Trail
(a 40 minute drive from Cambridge Suites, and a full-day excursion)
Enjoy the view of the spectacular Cabot Trail from the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Search for Pilot Whales, Fin Whales and Minkes. Observe Cormorants, Gullemots, and perhaps even Gannets or Bald Eagles along the shores of Cape Breton Highland National Park. View Sea Caves and unusual rock formations.
Narrated tours with experienced, bilingual interpreters aboard. Charters can be arranged. For more information and maps, click here.
The Miners' Museum
Glace Bay Nova Scotia
(a 30 minute drive from Cambridge Suites)
The Cape Breton Miners' Museum is located on a 15-acre site, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, just one mile from downtown Glace Bay, and is a visitor's portal into the area's rich and colorful coal mining history. The museum's focus is on the geological development of the Sydney Coal Fields, including various mining techniques, early labour history of the mining communities, as well as the future of coal as an alternate source of energy.
Your visit to the miners' Museum should include a guided tour of the Ocean Deeps Colliery, an underground coal mine located beneath the building. Retired coal miners accompany you on this 20 minute excursion into a 1932 "room & pillar" mine, where you will experience first hand what it was like to extract coal by the sweat of your brow.
Upon your return to the surface, a new experience awaits you - a "simulated trip: into Phalen Colliery. With the aid of special effects, you will sense what it is like to travel underground into a present day coal mine. Here you will get a view of coal operations that is seldom seen by those outside of the industry.
Visit the Miner's Museum website for more information.
Golf - Over 1000 Holes of Fabulous Golf
Magnificent courses. Charming settings. Welcoming service. International reputation. Affordable golf. Excellent value for every vacation dollar. That's what makes a great golf vacation, and that's why Nova Scotia is known as a world-class golf destination.
Tee off at venerable courses such as the Stanley Thompson designed Highland Links, SCOREGolf Magazine's 2001 Best Course in Canada. Or challenge yourself on the newer fairways of Bell Bay, Golf Digest's #2 choice among the Best New Courses in Canada in 2000.
"Cape Breton belongs on your golfing dream list." - The National Post. Each member of Cape Breton's Fabulous Foursome - Highlands Links (a 2 hour drive from Cambridge Suites), Bell Bay (a 45 minute drive from Cambridge Suites), Le Portage (4 hours from Cambridge Suites) and Dundee Resort (a 90 minute drive from Cambridge Suites) - have contributed to the Foursome's recognition by Golf Digest's List of Top 50 Golf Destinations Worldwide.
Seaview and Lingan are the courses closest to Cambridge Suites. Seaview is a 25 minute drive, and Lingan is a 20 minute drive.
Casino Nova Scotia
Sydney Nova Scotia
George Street
(2 blocks from Cambridge Suites)
With over 370 slot machines and 12 table games, Sydney Casino is a sure bet for non-stop excitement. Take in live entertainment at the Millionaire's Lounge.
Membertou Trade & Convention Center
This brand new facility offers 47,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space as well as the following:
- 900 seat theatre style capability
- 550 seat banquet style capability
- contemporary break out rooms
- video conferencing
- executive boardroom
- kitchen and banguet facilities
- state of the art conference amenities
- Mescalaro's
Open Grill Steak House - 140 seat steak house
- Petrolglyph's gift shop with authentic Mi'kmaq crafts
For further information visit the website at www.membertou.ca.
Downtown Shopping
There are a number of unique shops catering to all members of the family on Charlotte Street, within walking distance of the hotel.
Shopping Malls
Take a right when exiting the hotel and then a left onto Townsend Street. Go through 2 sets of lights and turn left onto George Street. Turn right at the next set of lights onto Prince Street. Follow Prince Street for a minute or so, and you will find the Sydney Shopping Mall on your right. If you continue past this mall on Prince Street for another 15 minutes, you will come to our larger Mayflower Mall on your right, featuring over 70 stosecure.
Boardwalk
There is a beautiful boardwalk on the harbourside of the hotel, stretching from the hotel to the Royal Yacht Club, where you can have a relaxing snack and drink. Events for the whole family during Sydney's Action Week take place on the boardwalk
Cape Breton Among Best Islands
Travel and Leisure magazine named Cape Breton the fourth best island to visit in the world, and the number one island to visit in continental United States and Canada... read more
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