Nuuk

Tradition and renewal
Nuuk is Greenland’s capital, where the new and the old meet in their unique Greenlandic fashion. A short walk from the colonial harbour with its beautiful old buildings brings you to “the board”, where the day’s catch of seal, birds and fish is sold. Other attractions in the town include the award-winning cultural venue Katuaq, Greenland’s University, the cathedral from 1849 and the National Museum, where you can spend hours learning about Greenland’s ancient history.

Katuaq Cultural Centre

Activities and attractions around Nuuk
Outside Nuuk is a major fjord system, which is particularly well-suited to ocean-going attractions. Whale safaris are organised that enable you to get close to the many humpback and minke whales, which from early summer to the onset of autumn frequent the waters just outside the town. In addition, helicopter trips to the ice sheet and Norse ruins are popular combination excursions, as are visits to settlements by boat. Also recommended is a visit to the art museum and the city council chamber, which is decorated by large tapestries with motifs from Greenlandic culture and nature.

Nuuk’s history
Nuuk means “the headland” and is situated at the tip of a large peninsula at the mouth of the gigantic fjord complex. Nuuk is also the oldest town in Greenland. It was founded by the missionary Hans Egede in 1728 after he had left his first settlement at the Isle of Hope all the way out in Davis Strait. Today Nuuk is a hectic city in Greenlandic terms, but that is rarely the impression that visitors get of the world’s smallest capital city with just 15,000 inhabitants.

How do I get to Nuuk?
Air Greenland has daily flights from the international airport in Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk. As the largest town in Greenland, Nuuk has regular flights to the rest of Greenland by means of Air Greenland's services. There is also the option of taking Arctic Umiaq Line's coastal vessel, which from Easter to Christmas has scheduled services between Qaqortoq as the southernmost destination and Ilulissat as the northernmost destination.

See a map of Nuuk

Nuuk weather:

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