Settled between 1680 and 1755, the former Acadian village of Grand-Pré has been transformed into an extensive park overlooking the "aboiteaux" (a type of dyke), reclaimed by the early settlers to provide large parcels of fertile land. The hamlet, which now contains a handful of picturesque flower-decked houses and scattered farmsteads, was the main Acadian site of current Nova Scotia. It serves as a permanent memorial to the Acadian people.