Cabot Tower at Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland (Canada).
Seen from the back of our hotel is Signal Hill National Historic Site, with Cabot Tower perched authoritatively on top of the hill and looking out over the water. It’s fitting, as this tower has been an observation lookout and communications centre for St. John’s since the 18th century.
It worked as a surveying spot for signalmen to help ships enter St. John’s Harbour, did its battle duty during the Seven Years’ War and up to the Second World War, had three hospitals on its ground between 1870 and 1920, and was the location of Guglielmo Marconi’s first transatlantic wireless signal on December 1, 1901. Now, the Cabot Tower houses historical exhibits and a shop to pick up souvenirs and gifts.
Our tour guide for the day was John, a snowboarder from New Brunswick who is more interesting than all the attractions in St. John’s. So we hopped in his car and headed up to Signal Hill.
Houses Near the Battery in St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland (Canada).
The interpretive centre is closed at this time of the year, but you can still wander around and read all the info boards and take in the breathtaking beauty of the landscape.
Apart from all the history, getting up here is also a good way to see the scenery. The Newfoundland coasts are an enigma to me, as they look so different from BC and the west coast of Canada. I love the rocky outcrops, spots of burnt red colours and feel of the cold Atlantic sea air.
Quidi Vidi Brewery and Village
Next up is the cute fishing village of Quidi Vidi, a neighbourhood of St. John’s and most well known for its brewery. The Quidi Vidi Brewery gives hourly tours, but today it was closed because of renovations. We still went in and chatted with one of the staff members and poked around the tiny gift shop.
The Battery
My favourite part of St. John’s so far is the drive we took to the Quidi Vidi Battery, though. The actual historic site was closed (usually you can visit from mid-May to October and have a guided tour of the site that was constructed in the early 1800s) but we just drove around the ultra narrow streets.
We’d get to a sharp drop and wonder whether it was driveable, but John would take us down the spiral staircase-like drops (without the spiral) and discover the continuation of the tiny street around the corner.
My Favourite House near the Battery in St. John's, Newfoundland (Canada).
Meantime, the neatest houses I’ve ever seen are passing by on each side, some the size of shacks and completely run down but clearly full of life. The buildings are sidled up next to each other, probably huddling close for warmth in the winter.
The road then abruptly ends at someone’s front porch, which is private, but a part of it is public and ends what I think is the East Coast Trail or one of the trails that leads back up to Signal Hill. The place is so unexplainably neat.
John was going nuts with the jumps he fantasized doing on his long board and Colin and I just climbed around pointing out all our favourite houses.
What I Liked:
- What a find this part of the Battery was. It was a quiet spot overlooking St. John’s Harbour where mostly artists live in possibly the coolest properties in Canada.
- There are some spectacular walking trails around Signal Hill National Historic Site. If you have the time, stay and explore them all, taking in the historical info boards along the way.
- The Quidi Vidi Brewery tours sounded fantastic and would be a great way to taste local Newfy beer.
Lori Henry is a freelance Travel, Health and Hockey writer based in Vancouver, Canada.
