Say Hi to the world's largest island! - Greenland

Igaliku

Greenland offers so many mind-blowing sightseeing options, it's hard to know where to begin. So let’s start with the story of Nuuk and the Lost Norsemen!

In 1721, Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede travelled to Greenland on a King-sanctioned mission to find the original Viking settlers. But both they and their farms had dwindled into dust. The probable causes? Overhunting, falling temperatures and drought.

Hans failed to find the Lost Norsemen but succeeded in introducing Christianity to the Innuits. His hilltop monument overlooks the shoreline of this cute capital, where everything's just a stone's throw away. Once you've seen Nuuk you can blaze your own trail through the territory - with a few good tips from us!

UNESCO World Heritage: Kujataa's Agricultural Legacy

Greenland boasts five UNESCO World Heritage sites, one of which is Kujataa in South Greenland. Hugging the banks of the Tunulliarfik Fjord, it’s not far from the ancient inland ice sheet. Within this vast agricultural plain, convicted murderer Erik the Red built a mighty farming estate.

Garda in Igaliku: Traces of Faith and Viking Culture

Garda in Igaliku, South Greenland - another World Heritage Site - reveals two kinds of religious activity. While the ruins of Garda Bishopric and Cathedral point to Christianity’s One God, the remains of walrus and narwhale bones suggest the Vikings still favoured the Pagan Æsir and Vanir deities.

Uunartoq hotsprings

Uunartoq Qeqertaq: The Warm Oasis of Greenland

Hot springs are a natural phenomenon in Greenland, but the island of Uunartoq Qeqertaq is the only place warm enough to bathe in. The bubbly pools are only a few degrees above body temperature, but even this slight difference makes a big one. And the mountainous views are more than heavenly.

Vatnahverfi's Norse Enigma: The Seer's Hut Discovery

Officially, Vatnahverfi has 124 groups of Norse ruins! In 2016 archaeologists found the remains of a small stone hut, which may have belonged to a Viking Seer. The reindeer antlers, sheep's tooth and walrus tusks found there might have been used in rituals to gaze into the future or ask the Gods for protection.

Hiking Paradise: Vatnahverfi's Stunning Natural Beauty - Land of the lakes

Hiking around the crop-growing, sheep-grazing, and fly-fishing district of Vatnahverfi will leave you breathless in more ways than one. Set between the Alluitsup Kangerlua and Igalikup Kergerlua fjords, this 500 km2 range is famous for its freshwater lakes and rivers.

Brattahlid

Erik the Red's Footprints: Brattahlid and Its Echoes

Erik the Red was the first Viking to discover the world's largest island. He named it "The Green Land" and brought Icelandic settlers in. He also built 'Brattahlid' at the head of the Tunulliarfik fjord. You can still see the ruins of the living quarters, outhouses and farm buildings.

Hvalsey Church: Christian Heritage Amidst Greenland's Nature

Initially, the Viking settlers worshipped the Norse Gods. However, Leif the Lucky - son of crazy Viking chieftain Erik the Red - changed that. At Hvalsey (aka 'Whale Island') and in Greenland, up to 14 parish churches were built, of which Hvalsey Church in South Greenland is the best preserved.

Hvalsey Church

Ivory Trade Chronicles: Herjolfnæs and Cape Farewell's Legacy

Located way down south at Cape Farewell, the settlement/trading post of Herjolfnæs was walrus-ivory heaven. Tusks were carved into everything from fine jewellery to religious objects. Then, when elephant ivory became more popular, greedy traders just renamed it. They even sold spiral Narwhal tusks as unicorn horns!

Cultural Confluences: Exploring Viking and Innuits Connections

In Hans Egede's 18th-century book on Greenland, there's an illustration showing Innuits planting ‘flag-sticks’ to herd nervous reindeer. These items were found together with Viking arrows, indicating that - in certain situations - the two cultures were indeed on the same page.

Dive deeper in the mysteries of the Lost Norsemen, and the similarities between Norse/Innuit Mythology

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The Lost Norsemen