Aasiaat Greenland
Greenland
Frequently Asked Questions
In the southern part of Disko Bay, on one of the islands of an archipelago Greenlanders call the land of a thousand islands. It is the country's fifth city, some 3,000 inhabitants whose coloured houses climb a base of grey rock.
By ship's tender, straight into the small harbour where the fishing boats are at work. You land right in the centre, and everything is walkable from there.
The old quarter around the harbour, the local museum and the community hall, all a few minutes' walk from the quay. A boat trip out to the whale feeding grounds fills the rest of the day.
Yes, from June to September: humpbacks, minke whales and fin whales frequent the waters around the archipelago. Boat excursions take you close to their feeding grounds, and it is not unusual to spot blows from the ship's own deck.
The Inuit history of the region, with one of the finest collections of kayaks and sledge equipment in the country. It shows how people survived here before engines and supplies delivered by ship. The old quarter preserves wooden buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Twenty-four paintings given to the community by this major figure of contemporary Danish art, covering the walls of the community hall. Finding such work in a municipal room inside the Arctic Circle is one of the surprises of this call.
Fishing, above all: shrimp and halibut support a good share of the families. On the quays you can watch the comings and goings of trawlers and small boats darting between the islands.
Yes, kayak outings in the sheltered channels and gentle hiking trails on the nearby hills, from which the view takes in the bay and its parade of icebergs drifting down from the north.
Windproof clothing, since the cold arrives quickly whenever the sun clouds over, and cash for small purchases. The town has basic shops and a café, and little more.
Climb one of the rocky ridges behind the houses: the sun sinks without ever truly setting, and the low light sets the red and blue facades ablaze while the icebergs offshore turn pink.
