The Official Tourism and Business Site of Greenland
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East Greenland
The land between the ice - a special part of Greenland
The most unspoilt regionEast Greenland is one of nature's last remaining unspoilt regions on the planet. The long winter, where the sea is frozen and the extensive field ice belt, which drifts on the currents along the coast in the spring and summer, has resulted in East Greenland becoming very isolated from both the rest of Greenland and indeed the rest of the world.
The first Europeans did not set foot in East Greenland until just over one hundred years ago, and this distinction from the rest of the country can clearly be seen in the region's language and culture. The language in East Greenland is therefore considerably different to that in West Greenland, both in terms of pronunciation and vocabulary.
However, people have lived in East Greenland during different periods for several thousand years. Today you can find two towns on the 2,700-km (1,700-mile) stretch of coastline, Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit, in addition to five settlements. In spite of the sparse density of population in the region, the choice of activities and excursions is huge.
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Activities in East Greenland
Activities during the summer include sailing trips amongst the icebergs, helicopter flights over glaciers or the Ice Sheet, kayaking, whale safaris and angling. The winter season provides good opportunities for skiing, dog sledding on trips lasting from a few hours to several days and the chance to enjoy the reflections of the northern lights on the snow-covered, rugged mountain peaks, which are highly characteristic of East Greenland. Skis and snowshoes make the landscape accessible to active tourists, whilst travellers possessing a real spirit of adventure can also acquire a licence to drive a dogsled or take part in a trophy hunt for muskoxen.
East Greenlandic arts and crafts East Greenlandic artists and craftsmen get their inspiration from the myths and legends of the traditional culture, which is vividly expressed in East Greenland's beautiful and highly sought after arts and crafts.
The world's biggest national park
With an area covering almost 1 million km2 (386,000 square miles), the National Park in Northeast Greenland is the biggest in the world. Its unique wildlife and rich history of expeditions mean that people without permanent residence in East Greenland's two towns have to apply for permission to enter the unique park. Apart from the personnel at the meteorological stations and the surveillance patrol, Sirius, no humans live in the area. Researchers are very interested in the area, however, because of the historical settlements and because almost all of Greenland's flora and fauna is represented here.
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Approach routes to East Greenland
The majority of travellers to East Greenland arrive via Iceland, from where there are flights to Kulusuk Airport that return the same day.
East Greenland's biggest town, Tasiilaq, is just a ten-minute flight by helicopter from Kulusuk. Ittoqqortoormiit can be reached by flying from Reykjavik and Kulusuk, but also offers the option of arrival by sea on one of the special expedition cruises to East Greenland - a mode of travel that has become increasingly popular during recent years.
Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit make up part of the municipality of Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, which also encompasses the country's capital, Nuuk.
Find more detailed information about East Greenland at Destination East Greenland.
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