Halifax is a harbour first and a city second, and every part of its history follows from that. The British founded it in 1749 as a naval counterweight to the French fortress at Louisbourg, and the big grassy hill in the middle, Citadel Hill, still carries a star-shaped fort with kilted guards and a noon gun. The harbour below is one of the largest natural ice-free ports in the world, which made the city a base for convoys in both world wars.
It has also seen some of the darkest days in Canadian history. In December 1917, a munitions ship collided with another vessel in the harbour and blew up in the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb, flattening the north end of the city and killing around two thousand people. After the Titanic sank in 1912, Halifax ships recovered many of the bodies, and rows of graves in Fairview Cemetery commemorate them. The city does not dwell on these stories, but they give the waterfront a weight you notice.
For a rider, Halifax is a start or an end rather than a ride in itself. The city is hilly and busy, with the Macdonald and MacKay bridges linking it to Dartmouth, and the ferry across the harbour is a pleasant way to see the skyline without a bike. The best moment to leave is early on a weekday, heading west along Highway 103 or the older coast road toward Peggys Cove. Fog is common, especially in early summer, and it can be thick and chilly even when the rest of the region is warm. The ride improves quickly once you clear the suburbs.
All the services you could need are here. Fuel stations line the main roads, and the old waterfront has seafood, pubs and cafés. Nova Scotia is known for lobster, oatcakes and a surprisingly good craft beer culture, so reward yourself. Parking a bike near the harbour is easy enough if you look for the side streets, and the walk along the boardwalk at dusk is worth the effort.