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• See Nuuk, one of the world's smallest capitals, with a population of about 15,000. It was founded in 1728 by Norwegian missionary Hans Egede as the very first town of Greenland. His former home now holds the reception room for Greenland's Home Rule Parliament. The town is overlooked by Sermitsiaq Mountain, and is a popular destination for visitors. Also in the town is a cathedral, university and seminary.
• Visit Greenland National Museum, one of Nuuk's major attractions, and take a look at the mummies of a group of women and children who were thought to have died in about 1475 when their boat capsized. The museum is in the oldest part of the city where buildings date back to 1728.
• Attend the annual Snow Sculpture Festival, held in Nuuk (website: www.snow.gl).
• Ilulissat is one of the country’s growth areas and the gateway to Disko Bay and the whole of northern Greenland. Originally named Jakobshavn in honour of its Danish founder Jakob Sverin (1691-1753), the Greendlandic name Ilulissat (meaning iceberg) is now more commonly used. Local history, however, dates much further back than the founding of Jakobshavn. Sermermiut, a settlement situated a few kilometres southwest of the town, shows traces of habitation as early as 2000BC. Ilulissat boasts many modern as well as traditional buildings surrounded by breathtaking scenery. The famous explorer Knud Rasmussen was born here in 1879 and the house where he grew up has been transformed into the interesting Knud Rasmussen Museum.
• Visit Narsarsuaq and Qassiarsuk in southern Greenland, situated in the area first settled by the Viking Eric the Red 1000 years ago. Many ruins from this epoch of Greenland’s history still survive.
• Qaqortoq is the largest town in South Greenland and the area’s administrative centre. The town square, situated close to the harbour, holds the country's oldest fountain and is encircled by some of the most well-preserved buildings of the colonial era, dating back 200 years. Throughout the town there are examples of a unique art project called 'Stone and People' where sculptures are carved into granite.
• There is a small Inuit (Eskimo) Museum at Qaqortoq, which includes an exact copy of a turf-built house. Greenland also has many ruins of old Norse settlements and Inuit houses.
• Nanortalik is Greenland's southernmost town and is surrounded by the Nanortalik Skyscrapers, steep peaks and sheer mountain walls lining fjords. Ketil Mountain and Ulamertorsuaq should only be attempted by experienced climbers.
• Venture into either Qaanaaq, the world's most northerly municipality, or Siorapaluk, the northernmost inhabited place on Earth.
• Watch for gigantic fin whales, especially around Qeqertarsuaq, Aasiaat and Qasigiannguit.
• In Disko Bay is Greenland's oldest wooden house, dating back to 1734, which is now the town's museum.
• Over 2,700 km (1,600 miles) of the East Coast contains only two towns but also the world's largest national park.
• Ittoqqortoormiit is one of the youngest towns in Greenland and the most isolated - the municipality is about the size of the UK and holds the largest fjord in the world, Scoresby Sund, as well as making up the largest fjord complex in the world with its number of side fjords. The area is ideal for expedition trips in kayaks or on dog sledges and it is also the departure point for the national park, for which permits are required.
• Guided tours for mountain walking are available. Greenland Tourism has published colour-coded hiking maps and guides for Qaqortoq, Narsaq, Narsarsuaq in South Greenland and Ammassalik in the east. Mountain huts are often available, particularly in the region of the Narsaq and Qaqortoq peninsulas and Vatnahverfi.
• Play golf on metre-thick ice in Uummannaq.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Visit Greenland National Museum, one of Nuuk's major attractions, and take a look at the mummies of a group of women and children who were thought to have died in about 1475 when their boat capsized. The museum is in the oldest part of the city where buildings date back to 1728.
• Attend the annual Snow Sculpture Festival, held in Nuuk (website: www.snow.gl).
• Ilulissat is one of the country’s growth areas and the gateway to Disko Bay and the whole of northern Greenland. Originally named Jakobshavn in honour of its Danish founder Jakob Sverin (1691-1753), the Greendlandic name Ilulissat (meaning iceberg) is now more commonly used. Local history, however, dates much further back than the founding of Jakobshavn. Sermermiut, a settlement situated a few kilometres southwest of the town, shows traces of habitation as early as 2000BC. Ilulissat boasts many modern as well as traditional buildings surrounded by breathtaking scenery. The famous explorer Knud Rasmussen was born here in 1879 and the house where he grew up has been transformed into the interesting Knud Rasmussen Museum.
• Visit Narsarsuaq and Qassiarsuk in southern Greenland, situated in the area first settled by the Viking Eric the Red 1000 years ago. Many ruins from this epoch of Greenland’s history still survive.
• Qaqortoq is the largest town in South Greenland and the area’s administrative centre. The town square, situated close to the harbour, holds the country's oldest fountain and is encircled by some of the most well-preserved buildings of the colonial era, dating back 200 years. Throughout the town there are examples of a unique art project called 'Stone and People' where sculptures are carved into granite.
• There is a small Inuit (Eskimo) Museum at Qaqortoq, which includes an exact copy of a turf-built house. Greenland also has many ruins of old Norse settlements and Inuit houses.
• Nanortalik is Greenland's southernmost town and is surrounded by the Nanortalik Skyscrapers, steep peaks and sheer mountain walls lining fjords. Ketil Mountain and Ulamertorsuaq should only be attempted by experienced climbers.
• Venture into either Qaanaaq, the world's most northerly municipality, or Siorapaluk, the northernmost inhabited place on Earth.
• Watch for gigantic fin whales, especially around Qeqertarsuaq, Aasiaat and Qasigiannguit.
• In Disko Bay is Greenland's oldest wooden house, dating back to 1734, which is now the town's museum.
• Over 2,700 km (1,600 miles) of the East Coast contains only two towns but also the world's largest national park.
• Ittoqqortoormiit is one of the youngest towns in Greenland and the most isolated - the municipality is about the size of the UK and holds the largest fjord in the world, Scoresby Sund, as well as making up the largest fjord complex in the world with its number of side fjords. The area is ideal for expedition trips in kayaks or on dog sledges and it is also the departure point for the national park, for which permits are required.
• Guided tours for mountain walking are available. Greenland Tourism has published colour-coded hiking maps and guides for Qaqortoq, Narsaq, Narsarsuaq in South Greenland and Ammassalik in the east. Mountain huts are often available, particularly in the region of the Narsaq and Qaqortoq peninsulas and Vatnahverfi.
• Play golf on metre-thick ice in Uummannaq.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.