Baddeck sits on the Bras d'Or Lake near the middle of Cape Breton, and it is much more than a fuel stop for the Cabot Trail. The village has a calm lakeside setting, a strong boating feel, and one first-rate museum tied to Alexander Graham Bell, who spent his later years across the water at Beinn Bhreagh.
The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site is the anchor. It covers Bell's experiments with flight, hydrofoils, sound, and education for the deaf, and its rooftop view over the lake helps explain why he stayed.
With a spare day, mix the museum with the Baddeck waterfront, Kidston Island, or the short drive to Uisge Bàn Falls. The village is also a natural pause before or after the Cabot Trail, but it deserves more than a quick pass-through.