St. John's, Newfoundland

The city of St. John's is the oldest European settlement in North America, founded in 1497 and located on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

St. John's is a mixture of wooden row houses, imposing churches, trees, and walking trails. There are also modern buildings, industries and culture. George Street is the focal point of nightlife in the city, offering everything from traditional Newfoundland music to the latest rock music. This is a city that is lively and vibrant.

Here is a view of the city and the narrows taken from Signal Hill.

Signal Hill was the reception of the first transatlantic wireless message by Guglielmo Marconi in 1901, as well as the site of harbour defences for St. John's from the 18th century to the Second World War.

Cabot Tower on Signal Hill.

View of the Narrows (Fort Amherst & lighthouse at right)

Fort Amherst, originally built in the 1770's and the lighthouse originally built in 1810, located on southside of St. John's harbour.

The Battery lies under the slopes of Signal Hill and sits on the entrance to the harbour. The area is noted for its steep slopes, colourful houses, and its importance as a battery for the defence of St. John's harbour in both World Wars.

Picturesque Quidi Vidi (pronounced Kiddy Viddy), originally built by the French in 1793, is a historic fishing village. Two charms of the village are the antique shop and the old pub. It also houses Newfoundland's largest microbrewery, the Quidi Vidi Brewery.

This is a view of the ocean from the walking train near Quid Vidi village.

Brightly-coloured houses painted in a variety of colors, sit along street in the downtown core of St. John's. Many of the houses are Victorian heritage homes and are known as Jellybean Row.

Because of their popularity, Jellybean Row is now the hottest new thing in home decor. They have inspired a collection series of wall hangings, as well as paint colors.

Newfoundland is not only memorable for its brightly-colored houses and fish stages, but also for its interesting place names, etc. Here is a sign found on an Inn in downtown St. John's.