In 1753, the British founded Lunenburg as their first colonial outpost in Nova Scotia beyond Halifax. The first settlers arrived in June 1753. Mostly Protestant German, Swiss and French colonists, the settlers participated in a formal lottery, choosing cards to determine the plots of land upon which they would settle and build.

The settlers soon discovered that the land was poorly suited to farming. European farmers, faced with rocks, stumps and stubborn soil, became rugged North Atlantic seafarers within two generations. Through the nineteenth and well into the twentieth centuries, Lunenburg became famous for the quality of its schooners, which fishermen sailed to the fish-rich Grand Banks off Newfoundland and the Western Bank off Sable Island. The queen of the schooner era was the famous Bluenose, launched at Lunenburg in 1921.

So too have their descendants accepted and mastered, in the 250 years since then, the assorted card hands dealt to them by geography and nature, and the changing economic landscape

When the fish disappeared and the maritime-based economy foundered late in the twentieth century, Lunenburg re-invented itself yet again, this time diversifying into heritage tourism, capitalizing on its unique location and character, built heritage and cultural legacy

Lunenburg's authenticity is closely tied to its streetscape. Old Town still adheres closely to the grid laid down by colonial planners in the 1750s. There are some 400 major buildings within the old town, 70 percent of them from the 18th and 19th centuries, almost all of them wood, and many colourfully painted. When combined with the town's picturesque location and its brightly painted homes these factors give Lunenburg a unique charm.

In 1992, the federal government recognized Lunenburg's unique historical character by designating the Old Town a National Historic District. Three years later, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, added Lunenburg to its World Heritage List.

The town is one of only two urban areas in Canada or the U.S. to be so honoured. Quebec City is the other.