Civilisation’s last outpost
Today Tasiilaq has approximately 1,700 inhabitants and is thus the biggest town in East Greenland. The town has a picturesque setting in a fjord surrounded by high mountains and bisected by a small river that flows through the town. The flower valley behind the town has a unique flora and is a popular area for both short and long hikes. Tasiilaq is on the large island of Ammassalik.
Activities around Tasiilaq During the summer, activities include hiking and climbing for people of all abilities, as well as helicopter trips to the ice sheet or glaciers. Sea kayaking and sailing on the fjord between icebergs, whale safaris and angling are all popular activities. The large amounts of snow in the winter season and the spring enable sled trips on the unique East Greenlandic dogsleds. These can be seen everywhere outside the colourful timber houses together with the chained sled dogs.
Tasiilaq then and now As it is only just over 100 years since the first Europeans came to the area, the traditional Inuit culture still plays an important role in day-to-day life. However, Tasiilaq is also a modern society with many of the facilities that are found in the rest of the world. Computer games, the Internet and the mobile phone have all found their way to Tasiilaq.
Transport routes to Tasiilaq Tasiilaq does not have an airport, but a heliport. Flight connections to the rest of Greenland (via Kangerlussuaq) and Iceland (Reykjavik) thus arrive at and depart from Tasiilaq’s settlement at Kulusuk, which is only a ten-minute helicopter ride from Tasiilaq.
Local means of travel throughout the winter consist of helicopters, snowmobiles and dogsleds and in the summer months transport to the settlements takes place via supply ships, by helicopter or in private boats.