Charlottetown

Prince Edward Island's oldest city, on an arm of the Northumberland Strait, is named for the stylish consort of King George III. The small city, peppered with gingerbread-clad Victorian houses and tree-shaded squares, is the largest community (population 33,000) on the Island. It's often called the Cradle of Confederation, a reference to the 1864 conference that led to the union of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Québec in 1867, a country later joined by other British colonies to become the Canada we know today. In summer, the downtown streets are dotted with people dressed as personages from the past, regaling you with tales about the Confederation debate.