Halifax-The Citadel

Aug 15, 2011

The Citadel - Barracks and Offices

One of the granite walls with a grassy top.

The Citadel.

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The Citadel-housing for supplies and ammunition.

See the steps that go up to the grassy top?

A cannon up on top of one of the granite walls.

Oops! Our guard closed his eyes at the wrong time!

Getting in a little practice before the changing of the guard.

A bagpiper up on a wall's grassy top. We could hear him...

What a view! They certainly could see anyone approaching them.

The Citadel sits nine blocks straight up (almost) from the waterfront. It has a panoramic view across downtown, the city's harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Placing the Citadel here offered a formidable defense. One could not possibly sneak up on it. Four forts have occupied this same hilltop since 1749. The Citadel today has been restored to look much like it did in 1856. The fourth and final fort was built because of concern over American expansionist ideas. The fort has never been attacked. The fort was occupied by the British army until 1906, then by Canadian forces during the world wars. It's walls are granite with grassy embankments which form a huge star. You can only see that from an aerial view. In the enormous courtyard we found costumed interpreters preparing for the changing of the guard and bagpipes being played. There is a cannon that fires at Noon every day. Quite a site.

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