Nuuk is the capital of Greenland, where old and new meet in their unique Greenlandic fashion. A short walk from the Colonial harbour with its beautiful old buildings, to the centre, leads to the newly renovated and roof-covered "brættet", where the day's catch of seal, birds and fish are sold. Other attractions in the town include the award-winning culture centre Katuaq, the University of Greenland, the cathedral from 1849, as well as the National Museum, where the city's visitors can spend hours delving into Greenland's history.
The founding of Nuuk
Nuuk means "the headland" and it is located at the edge of a large peninsula at the mouth of the giant fjord system. 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 Isle of Hope, right out by the Davis Strait. Today Nuuk is a hectic city by Greenlandic standards, but it is rarely the impression outsiders get of the world's smallest capital with only 16,000 inhabitants.
Facts about
Nuuk
Population: 15,862 in the town and 298 inhabitants spread over the two settlements.
This is where the past, present and future meet - from exhibitions of old and new to experimental theatre and new music.