Visitors can have their photos taken just outside the cruise terminal with the world's largest fiddle, a 50-foot reminder of Cape Breton's musical heritage. Inside the terminal there is a nice restaurant upstairs, Flavour on the Water, and a walk through display showing some of the interesting sights that visitors can experience in the area.
Sydney is a city in transition. For a long time it was known mainly as an industrial center, one of Canada's major coal and steel suppliers. In the past, cruise passengers typically left the town for nearby excursions, like the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes area and town of Baddeck, where Alexander Graham Bell lived and worked. The Fortress of Louisbourg, the largest historic reconstruction in North America, lures many visitors, and the Cabot Trail is one of Canada's most scenic drives.
But today's Sydney is an increasingly interesting place to visit. When the mills and mines closed for good in 2001, the city turned its eyes to the harbor and the 70,000 cruise-ship passengers who arrive each season. By concentrating on tourism, Sydney is making the most of its rich history and its position as the major city on beautiful Cape Breton Island.
British loyalists fleeing the American Revolution founded the town in 1785, and the settlement soon prospered from its rich natural resources. In its industrial heyday, jobs in the steel factories and coal mines attracted settlers from many lands, including many who emigrated from the Scottish Highlands. Their influence is still evident. Cape Breton is one of the rare places in North America where Gaelic is still spoken, and Celtic music is heard everywhere.
The North End of town will remind a bit of New England, with six buildings built in the late 18th century, including steepled churches and homes dating to the 1780s. Enthusiastic guides help bring the past to life. A growing boardwalk along the harbour's edge winds near the handsome Wentworth Park.