About 10 kilometers north of Annapolis Royal stands Port-Royal National Historic Site-the faithfully restored settlement of Sieur des Monts. The plain wooden buildings are in early 17th-century style. There is a Governor's Residence, a Priest's House, a smithy, and a room in which First Nations people used to barter their furs for European goods. Costumed interpreters give a sense of the daily lives of the settlers and their interactions with the local Mi'kmaq people. 

Especially interesting is the house of the apothecary Louis Hébert, the first European farmer in North America who later settled in Québec. It was here, in 1606, that Samuel de Champlain founded "L'Ordre de Bon Temps," the first society in North America based on the doctrine of love for one's fellow man.

Address: 53 Historic Lane, Port Royal, Nova Scotia

Official site: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/portroyal/index.aspx

Grand-Pré was one of the main Acadian settlements in the early 18th century. By means of an ingenious system of dams and canals, the Acadians reclaimed fertile land from the sea and laid out large and productive fields for some 200 farms. But in 1755, the English drove out the Acadians, destroying their homes, taking cattle, and parceling the land out to colonists from New England and elsewhere.

The Grand Pré National Historic Site is in memory of the deported Acadian settlers. In the gardens stands a memorial to Henry Longfellow, who in 1847 immortalized the tragic fate of the Acadians in his poem "Evangéline." There is also a statue of his fictional heroine Evangéline. Acadian artist Philippe Hébert sculpted both memorials.

Address: 2205 Grand Pré Rd, Grand Pré, Nova Scotia

Official site: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/grandpre/index.aspx

Fort Anne, the scene of so many battles in the past, is today preserved as Fort Anne National Historic Site. When the French ceded control of the region to the British, this former French fort on the Annapolis River became their stronghold. The only buildings remaining from that time are a 1700s gunpowder magazine and officers' barracks, but the impressive walls and ramparts are substantially intact and open for visitors to explore.

Tall chimneys mark the officers' quarters and there are memorials to Sieur de Monts; Samuel Vetch, Acadia's first governor; and Jean Paul Mascarene. On the fort flies a flag showing the English St. George's Cross and the Scottish St. Andrew's Cross.

Address: St. George St., Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

Official site: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/fortanne/index.aspx