The Official Tourism and Business Site of Greenland
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Aasiaat
The land of a thousand islands
Aasiaat is situated on an island in the southern part of Disko Bay at the edge of a very beautiful archipelago often referred to as “The land of a thousand islands”. Many of the islands in the area are conservation areas and provide fantastic opportunities to study the unique birdlife or the whales that were the original reason why Aasiaat was founded in the middle of the 18th century.
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Activities at Aasiaat
In terms of culture, Aasiaat offers an old quarter that is home to both a museum and a community centre that is decorated by 24 paintings by the world-renowned painter Per Kirkeby. The sea is regularly frequented by humpback whales during the summer months, and Aasiaat’s archipelagos are particularly popular destinations for excursions by boat or by kayak. During the winter months intrepid guests can try their hand at cross-country skiing on prepared slopes or trips by snowmobile or dogsled.
Aasiaat’s history
Aasiaat – or Egedesminde – was originally founded in 1759 by Niels Egede, son of the well-known Christian missionary Hans Egede, in order to better be able to deal with the extensive bartering that went on between European whalers and the native population. In 1763 the settlement was moved 125 km (80 miles) to the north to its present location. Aasiaat has two fascinating museums: a local museum with focus on Inuit history and the town’s past and a shipping museum devoted to Greenland’s coastal traffic.
Business and transport routes
Although fishing is the dominant business activity, Aasiaat is also North Greenland’s centre of education, boasting a college of further education and a business school. The Municipality of Aasiaat has just over 3,000 inhabitants, 200 of which live in the settlements at Akunaaq and Kitsissuarsuit.
How do I get to Aasiaat?
Air Greenland has almost daily connections to Aasiaat with flights from the international airport in Kangerlussuaq. Aasiaat also has weekly aircraft and helicopter connections to other towns in Disko Bay and connections by sea on the local Disko Line depending on the season.
See a map of Aasiaat
Aasiaat weather:
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