Where people still have time Nova Scotia is so beautifully colorful in autumn
A road trip through the Canadian province of Nova Scotia is a special highlight in the fall.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Beatrice Stutz from the canton of St. Gallen has lived in Nova Scotia for over 20 years.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The Swiss expat runs a winery there with her family.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The view of the autumnal plain is spectacular.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Small fishing villages such as Lunenburg - a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1995 - invite you to take a stroll.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
On a walk through the heart of the town, you will quickly recognize the typical colourful wooden houses.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Tour guide Eric from Lunenburg Walking Tours knows his home inside out.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The porches of the colorful cottages in Lunenburg are decorated with pumpkins in autumn.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Lobster is Nova Scotia's most important commodity.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Even cocktails are topped with lobster.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Kejimkujik National Park is not only equipped with hiking and biking trails, adventure-seekers can also go canoeing here.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The national park is a dream for hiking.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The water is lined with trees that have changed color.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The treetops glow in the fall.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Indigenous art: Mi'kmaq drawings can be found on the stones in Kejimkujik National Park.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Halifax is the capital of the province and has a population of 440,000.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The port city is around 5500 square kilometers in size.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Tall buildings give it a big city feel.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Nevertheless, Halifax is well laid out and the pedestrian zone is quiet.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Street art can be found on many corners, beautifying the city.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Seafood can be sampled at the Waterfront Warehouse.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A typical étagère with seafood.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
At the weekend, the Farmers' Market near the harbor is a hive of activity.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Nova Scotians meet here to shop.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Halifax's skyline is a sight to behold.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Time out in the countryside: the lovingly designed Public Gardens park is located in the middle of the city.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
In front of a large oak tree is a sign stating that King George VI once planted it for Queen Elizabeth.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is said to be the most photographed of its kind in the region.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A Swiss emigrant blows his alphorn in front of it.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Around 30 people live in the small village of Peggy's Cove on the Atlantic coast in Saint Margaret's Bay.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A real highlight in Nova Scotia is the White Point Beach Resort in Hunts Point.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The accommodation also includes rustic wooden huts, ...
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
... which are equipped with a fireplace and a small veranda.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The best thing about the resort: when you check in, you'll be given a bag of rabbit food, as you'll find rabbits all over the resort.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
From the resort's beach, you can admire the wild sea - its waves are also conquered by brave surfers in the fall.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
For the more adventurous, learn more about the infamous treasure hunting island of Oak Island on a boat tour with skipper Tony from Salty Dog Sea.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The reality series "Oak Island - Curse and Legend" has been providing insights into the island in twelve seasons since 2014.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
However, the best thing about a road trip through autumnal Nova Scotia is and remains the view of the colorful forests.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A road trip through the Canadian province of Nova Scotia is a special highlight in the fall.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Beatrice Stutz from the canton of St. Gallen has lived in Nova Scotia for over 20 years.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The Swiss expat runs a winery there with her family.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The view of the autumnal plain is spectacular.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Small fishing villages such as Lunenburg - a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1995 - invite you to take a stroll.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
On a walk through the heart of the town, you will quickly recognize the typical colourful wooden houses.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Tour guide Eric from Lunenburg Walking Tours knows his home inside out.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The porches of the colorful cottages in Lunenburg are decorated with pumpkins in autumn.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Lobster is Nova Scotia's most important commodity.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Even cocktails are topped with lobster.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Kejimkujik National Park is not only equipped with hiking and biking trails, adventure-seekers can also go canoeing here.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The national park is a dream for hiking.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The water is lined with trees that have changed color.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The treetops glow in the fall.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Indigenous art: Mi'kmaq drawings can be found on the stones in Kejimkujik National Park.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Halifax is the capital of the province and has a population of 440,000.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The port city is around 5500 square kilometers in size.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Tall buildings give it a big city feel.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Nevertheless, Halifax is well laid out and the pedestrian zone is quiet.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Street art can be found on many corners, beautifying the city.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Seafood can be sampled at the Waterfront Warehouse.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A typical étagère with seafood.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
At the weekend, the Farmers' Market near the harbor is a hive of activity.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Nova Scotians meet here to shop.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Halifax's skyline is a sight to behold.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Time out in the countryside: the lovingly designed Public Gardens park is located in the middle of the city.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
In front of a large oak tree is a sign stating that King George VI once planted it for Queen Elizabeth.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is said to be the most photographed of its kind in the region.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A Swiss emigrant blows his alphorn in front of it.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Around 30 people live in the small village of Peggy's Cove on the Atlantic coast in Saint Margaret's Bay.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
A real highlight in Nova Scotia is the White Point Beach Resort in Hunts Point.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The accommodation also includes rustic wooden huts, ...
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
... which are equipped with a fireplace and a small veranda.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The best thing about the resort: when you check in, you'll be given a bag of rabbit food, as you'll find rabbits all over the resort.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
From the resort's beach, you can admire the wild sea - its waves are also conquered by brave surfers in the fall.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
For the more adventurous, learn more about the infamous treasure hunting island of Oak Island on a boat tour with skipper Tony from Salty Dog Sea.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
The reality series "Oak Island - Curse and Legend" has been providing insights into the island in twelve seasons since 2014.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
However, the best thing about a road trip through autumnal Nova Scotia is and remains the view of the colorful forests.
Image: Edelweiss_Loren Bedeli
Eastern Canada is densely forested - a trip in the fall is a true spectacle. The province of Nova Scotia beckons with colorful national parks, sleepy fishing villages and lobster à discrétion.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Nova Scotia is located on the east coast of Canada and is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
- The Canadian province is especially worth a visit in autumn - when the forests turn colorful.
- The region offers impressive coastal landscapes, fascinating national parks, fresh seafood, an outdoor paradise and great hospitality.
The leaves glow in red, orange, yellow and brown. It is the play of colors of autumn that has brought us here. To Nova Scotia - to the Canadian province where everything is still a bit "backwards", as Beatrice Stutz describes it at a meeting. The St. Gallen native has lived here for over 20 years and runs a winery in Grand Pré with her family. For her, Nova Scotia has not only become her new home, she also finds this area of Canada simply "wonderfully beautiful".
Everything is quiet in Nova Scotia. Like the rest of Canada, the region on the east coast of the country attracts visitors with its breathtaking nature. The pace here is still leisurely. As we speed past colorful mixed forests and thousands upon thousands of lakes in the family van, we rarely encounter another vehicle on the road. Nobody is in a hurry. It seems as if people in Nova Scotia have a little more time on their hands.
Slowing down works particularly well here. The sleepy fishing villages, which serve lobster in all kinds of variations, invite you to stroll around and explore at your leisure. The houses are somehow reminiscent of Scandinavia, but not quite, sometimes brightly painted and lined with pretty porches decorated with pumpkins in autumn.
Nova Scotia Info
- Capital of the province: Halifax
- Population: 969,383 (2021)
- Area: 52,824 square kilometers
- Official language: English
- Currency: Canadian dollar
- Best time to visit: In September and October, the forests turn bright autumn colors. But Nova Scotia is also worth a trip during the other seasons - depending on individual preferences.
- Time zone: GMT-4, i.e. five hours behind Switzerland.
Again and again we roll down the window, marveling at the beauty of autumn, which is not appreciated enough at home in everyday life. Here in Canada, the different shades of the trees glow even more intensely. From a vantage point, we look out over the plain. It seems as if an artist has been at work with her color palette. Our breath catches and we set off again.
On the trail of the Mi'kmaq in Kejimkujik National Park
We head to Kejimkujik National Park, where we want to fully immerse ourselves in the nature of Canada. The national park is not only equipped with hiking and biking trails, adventure seekers can also go on a canoe tour or spend the night in a tent.
Kejimkujik is also an important place for the indigenous Mi'kmaq people. The ranger explains to us that the name of the park may translate as "stones". It quickly becomes clear that stones have a special meaning here.
There are drawings of the Mi'kmaq on them, unfortunately eroded by time and covered in mud by later visitors. Today, efforts are being made to preserve the images so that they can be studied for a long time to come. They tell of a life before our time, as it was then and as it is no longer today.
"We are all related, even the trees and everything," the other ranger mentions a Mi'kmaq proverb. And I understand what he means. You can feel the energy in this place, you feel at one with nature.
Out of respect, we take off our shoes to walk over the stones. As we walk barefoot across the forest floor, I look up at the treetops, where the wind makes the leaves rustle, and take a deep breath.
Milder winters, but there are still blizzards
Back on the road, deer suddenly leap across the asphalt in the distance. We stop - there's not much traffic here - and stalk the small deer grazing between the trees. Just don't make any noise, otherwise they will be alarmed.
The weather causes alarm here from time to time. However, the winters used to be much harsher, as the locals keep telling us. Not only in Switzerland, but also in Nova Scotia, Canada, the cold season has become somewhat milder. But the blizzards still bring extreme temperatures deep into the minus range every year.
In summer, on the other hand, hurricanes cause concern from time to time, and although they rarely make their way up here, they sometimes do. The ranger assures us that the weather gods carry offshoots as far as the east coast of Canada. Fortunately, by the time they arrive here, they have usually shrunk down to category two.
Halifax - the capital of the province
But the diversity of Canadian nature has certainly not shrunk in recent years. Here, care is taken to preserve its naturalness. The wildlife is abundant: there are black bears and turtles, but they should go to sleep soon, as hibernation is approaching.
Nova Scotia is very diverse. There is idyllic nature with diverse wildlife that will amaze you. Gigantic national parks that know how to protect them. Small fishing villages with quaint taverns serving specialties from the sea. Cocktails are topped with lobster tails, mac'n'cheese is also pimped with lobster.
And then there's Halifax, the city where everything comes together. With a population of around 440,000, the capital of the province is no New York, but it certainly has a lot to offer. Here, too, everything is somehow quieter; you won't find a big hustle and bustle in Halifax.
The wide streets are lined with even wider pick-ups, and on Friday evenings the youngsters queue outside the pubs. Most stores sell outdoor clothing and time stands still in the lovingly designed Public Gardens park.
I take a break in front of the large oak tree in the park. The plaque in front of it reads: "Planted by His Majesty King George VI in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth." How romantic.
Peggy's Cove takes its name from a lovesick girl
Meanwhile, her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, looks out at me from the 20-dollar bill. I ask myself: when will they be exchanged? Because now King Charles III is the head of the Commonwealth. I hand the dollar bill to the cashier in the souvenir store in Peggy's Cove to pay for the lobster socks.
Outside, the tourists are fighting the wind. It whistles through the wooden floorboards of the store. While the lady behind the counter counts my change, I look out of the window behind her and let my gaze wander.
The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is said to be the most photographed of its kind in the region. A must on a round trip, I am assured. In front of it, a Swiss man, who has also decided to leave his homeland and emigrate to Canada, blows his alphorn. He blows into it, making the familiar sound, and has set up small wooden cows in front of it.
A pretty spot, I think to myself. I can understand why Beatrice Stutz, her family and the alphorn player have chosen it as their new home, even if it does bear some resemblance to their old home. All the lakes, the forests, the glorious nature.
And Peggy's Cove. With the pointed cliffs that line the coast and the famous lighthouse. How did the place get its name? Pam Wamback from Tourism Nova Scotia, who has lived in the Canadian province all her life, tells of a legend about the girl Peggy, who once lived here and is said to have fallen madly in love with a sailor. Because he didn't return one day, she dived into the vast sea herself to find him.
I see the windblown hair of the tourists again and remember the icy cold wind blowing outside. A little too fresh for my taste for a swim in the sea, but the view of the lighthouse is definitely worth it.
Good to know
- How to get there: Edelweiss will be flying non-stop from Zurich to Halifax in Nova Scotia every Thursday and Sunday from July 3, 2025 until the beginning of October. Bookable at flyedelweiss.com.
- Where to stay: A real highlight is the White Point Beach Resort in Hunts Point, less than two hours' drive south of Halifax. The accommodation includes rustic wooden cabins equipped with a fireplace and a small veranda. From there, you can admire the wild ocean - its waves are also conquered by brave surfers in the fall. The best thing about the resort: when you check in, you'll receive a bag of rabbit food, as rabbits can be found all over the resort. More information about the cottages can be found here.
- Take a look: For culture vultures, the small harbor town of Lunenburg is well worth a visit. It is Canada's oldest German settlement with a long fishing and shipbuilding tradition. A stroll through the town center quickly reveals the typical and colourful wooden houses. The town has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1995 and is particularly easy to explore on a walking tour with Local Eric, who knows his home down to the smallest detail. Those who prefer adventure can learn more about the infamous treasure hunting island of Oak Island on a boat tour with skipper Tony from Salty Dog Sea. The reality series "Oak Island - Curse and Legend" has been providing insights into the island in twelve seasons since 2014.
- Try it: Not for vegetarians, but lobster and other seafood are Nova Scotia's most important commodity. Whether in a macaroni and cheese dish or plain - you can't avoid lobster.
- You can findmore information about Nova Scotia at novascotia.com
This report was produced as part of a press trip organized by the airline Edelweiss.
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