Before President-elect Trump shined it, Greenland was already on the radar of the cruise ship industry and many ships chose picturesque Greenlandic cities for their ports of call.
Cruise ship passengers take photos of fjords in Greenland (Danuta Hamlin)
One of the ports is Qaqortoq, the largest city in southern Greenland.
Qaqortoq means “white” in the Greenlandic language. (Danuta Hamlin)
While sailing from Iceland, the ship followed in the footsteps of Eric the Red, a Norseman who settled the area in 982. Since Eric was exiled from Iceland, he made his home here and called it Greenland.
About 80% of the island is covered with snow and the rest does not look very green.
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Greenland’s majestic coast (Danuta Hamlin)
According to some historians, Eric the Red came up with this name only for propaganda purposes.
He planned to attract more residents from Iceland and advertised the island as a green land. Some experts say Greenland may have been warmer at that time, but the early 15th century was known as the “Little Ice Age”.
Children in Nanortalik, Greenland. (Danuta Hamlin)
Life in Greenland became too harsh for Europeans. But the island’s native population found ways to persevere.
The Julianhaab River runs through the center of Qaqortoq, Greenland. (Danuta Hamlin)
Located in the middle of a beautiful fjord system, where a creek flows across the town, and snow remains on the mountain peaks even in spring, Qaqortoq is a fascinating place to visit.
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Qaqortoq is the fourth largest city in Greenland. (Danuta Hamlin)
Building highways in Greenland is expensive, so Qaqortoq is not connected by road to any other town or village. However, when the weather is warm, the area offers ample opportunities for nature walks, kayaking, and fishing.
Qaqortoq Greenland (Danuta Hamlin)
The city was founded as a trading colony in 1775 by Norwegian explorer Anders Olsen. With a population of just over 3,000, it offers a glimpse of Greenlandic life, Viking history and Nordic-inspired architecture.
The hills are dotted with colorful houses, creating a delightful contrast with the severe peaks of the surrounding mountains.
A road sign in Greenland. Greenlandic is an Eskimo-Aleut language with approximately 57,000 speakers. (Danuta Hamlin)
Greenland is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark, but the official language is Greenlandic. It is a polysynthetic language which means that, technically, there is no limit on Greenlandic word length.
Understanding local signs can be fun and challenging at the same time.
Stone and Man, an open-air art project in Qaqortoq, Greenland, featuring rock carvings and sculptures (Danuta Hamlin)
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Although trees are not easy to find, the area is full of all kinds of rocks and stones. Some of them were transformed into carvings of faces and whales in a tribute called “Stone and Man”. This open-air gallery is the work of local Qaqortoq artist Aka Hoegh.
The Mindebronnden Fountain is the oldest of only two public fountains in Greenland. (Danuta Hamlin)
Kakortok boasts the oldest fountain in the country – the Mindebronnden Memorial Fountain. The fountain was completed in 1932 and is closed during the winter months.
A fish market in Qaqortoq. Seal meat is a key ingredient in Greenland’s national dish, suasat. (Danuta Hamlin)
The town’s fish market sells whatever is caught by local fishermen on a given day. It might be fish, or it might be whale meat, or maybe seal.
After all, Qaqortoq is a fishermen’s town and seafood plays an important role in the Greenlandic diet.
Nanortalik is a village on the island of Nanortalik, with about 1,072 inhabitants. (Danuta Hamlin)
The official religion of Greenland is Evangelical Lutheranism. In another port of call, a village called Nanortalik, members of the local congregation welcomed the tourists with a musical performance.
The Nanortalik Choir singing outside in Greenland in 2018. (Danuta Hamlin)
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Nanortalik means “place of the polar bear”. However, no bears were seen roaming around the village.
The old colonial port area of Nanortalik is an open-air museum. (Danuta Hamlin)
Greenland is the largest island in the world – visiting it is an exciting experience for any tourist.
Cruise ship passengers photographing the fjords in Greenland (Danuta Hamlin)
The author recently took a voyage to Greenland.
