Our island resonates with the voices of generations before us. We hold our traditions close, and our need to share them even closer. Over 30 museums and four National Historic Sites give you a first-hand look at the innovation, industry, and peoples that helped shape Cape Breton Island. Tour the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck to get a glimpse into the mind of a genius. Descend into and underground coal mine with a retired miner at the Cape Breton Miners’ Museum. Join in a Gaelic milling frolic at the Highland Village. Have a blast at the Fortress of Louisbourg where you can fire a period cannon or musket. Lose yourself in our rich heritage. Discover our history.
Before they were committed to memory and passed down and around through the ages, the traditional songs of today were once brand new.
The annual Guitar Summit concert serves as an obvious showcase for these world-class pickers, but this wealth of talent inevitably shines through in concerts throughout each Festival.
The Gaels celebrated their culture not in huge buildings or sculptures but in their songs. Their songs told the stories of the people, the land, good times and bad, love's lost and yearned for.
It is well-established that dance tradition is an important, if not defining, influence on Cape Breton's traditional music.
As a songwriter, I’ve often described my creative process as though I have tuned into an invisible radio frequency.
While in Cape Breton, if wanting a real slice-of-life night out, be sure to check out one of our dandy dances.
There are direct flights to Sydney from Toronto and Montreal and from other North American and European cities via Halifax. If traveling by ground, the Trans-Canada Highway 104 leads to Cape Breton Island.
Getting Here and Around