The Fortress of Louisbourg has been named the top travel destination in the country by a Canadian travel website as it prepares to celebrate its 300th anniversary.

The vacation website vacay.ca named the Fortress of Louisbourg the best place to visit in 2013 saying, "Thoroughly fascinating, Louisbourg is so well done as an attraction you almost lose sight of the beauty of its setting."

Adrian Brijbassi, the managing editor of vacay.ca, said the fortress was the unanimous top choice of a group of travel writers.

"The visitor experience is phenomenal," he told CBC News.

"What struck me was how few people outside of the East Coast of Canada really know about what a jewel of a place this is."

The Fortress of Louisbourg and the nearby community are celebrating the 300th anniversary of the original settlement this year with Louisbourg300, which includes a series of musical attractions, cultural attractions, a harbourside market and a regatta between the months of May and October.

Vacay.ca called the fortress a "living museum" which gives visitors the opportunity to participate in the history of Canada.

"I do know tourism was down last year at Louisbourg. I know that with the American recession prolonging, those visitors from New England haven't been coming as they have in years past, but hopefully that'll start to change," said Brijbassi.

"Fifty per cent of our visitors from vacay.ca come from the States so we do have a large market audience. We hope that all becomes a mass in 2013 and people start beating a track back to Louisbourg."

Lester Marchand, the manager of visitor experience at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, said vacay.ca's recommendation is important.

"That's an awesome, awesome affirmation, if you will, of the beauty of the spot that we sit on here in Louisbourg and the beauty of the opportunities that are available to be lived here," he said.