Coast with the most

New reasons to discover Nova Scotia

It’s all change in one of Canada’s east-coast provinces. The city of Halifax, with its Atlantic setting and maritime museums, loomed large on the travel map during the centenary of the Titanic’s sinking in 2012 and the docks that once sent out rescue parties to the doomed ocean liner have sailed towards the future, with a modern eco-makeover.

Get your bearings at the QUEEN’S MARQUE district, which has revamped the city’s waterfront with a combination of residential, leisure and business venues powered by seawater and topped with innovative

‘green’ roofing, designed to reduce carbon output. You’ll find a sweet spot in PEACE BY CHOCOLATE, the grand new boutique by Nova Scotia-settled Syrian chocolatiers.

And, befitting a queen, the district is home to the province’s first five-star hotel, which opens this month with a multimilliondollar art collection installed throughout, along with the full gamut of luxurious experiences: hydrotherapy pools, a salt room, a private yacht, SUPs and kayaks for guest use, and even its own tartan in guest rooms — a nod to Nova Scotia’s rich Celtic heritage.

This is, geographically speaking, the closest North American region to the

UK. Around six hours by direct flight, big skies, open roads, wild coasts and the 12 or so species of whales visible offshore are closer than you think. novascotia.com peacebychocolate.ca muirhotel.com

SARAH BARRELL

THE MUIR,