Nuuk (Greenland): from history to our days

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, is located 240 km from the Arctic Circle. Once upon a time, there were only small settlements in its place, but in the 9th century Scandinavian colonists arrived and firmly settled here. Officially, 1728 is considered the year of the city's foundation. Then he still had the name Gotthob, which means "good hope" in Danish. Somewhat later (in 1979), Greenland gained autonomy, in connection with which the city was renamed Nuuk.

In recent years, tourism has developed significantly in the capital. Thanks to the well-established infrastructure, travelers feel comfortable here even in the coldest weather and can fully enjoy the amazing nature of the snowy lands.

Plant and animal life

A remarkable fact is that the city of Nuuk (Greenland) is located in the fjord, which is called Good Hope and is considered the largest in the Labrador Sea. During the summer, its coastal greenery createsan enchanting contrast to incredible icebergs that take on the most outlandish shapes.

The waters near the fjord are also home to a variety of fish and marine mammals. For example, there are up to 15 species of whales, while three species - beluga, narwhal, bowhead whale - prefer not to leave Greenland during the wintering period, and visitors can once again admire their greatness.

Attractions

Tourists are attracted to the city not only by the opportunity to watch whales, but also by unique sights. One of them is the sculpture of the Mother of the Sea. It is located on the beach, but you can see it in full only at low tide.

In Nuuk, every visitor can spend time with interest when visiting museums. They have many interesting exhibits. The Greenland National Museum, for example, keeps mummies once discovered in the north of the island. A collection of ancient artifacts from Nuuk and Greenland as a whole is available for tourists to view. There are also traditional tapestries, which were woven from animal hair and then painted with vegetable dyes.

Katuak

Special attention is drawn to such a landmark of the capital as the cultural center "Katuak", which was opened in 1997. The center has an unusual shape, which in many ways resembles a wave. When designing it, the designers were inspired by the Northern Lights.

In the evening, citizens and tourists come to the building tolook at the light performances arranged on its facade. Inside the "Katuac" there is a library, an art school, an exhibition complex, several conference rooms and cafes, and a polar explorer's institute. In addition to all of the above, the center is the only cinema in all of Greenland.

Other places of interest in Nuuk are the Museum of Art, the City Treasury Building and the home of the city's founder, Hans Egede. In the Museum of Art you can see many works by Greenlandic artists, go on excursions, during which they will tell you about the development of art on the northern island and about its entire history. The Treasury building is magnificently decorated with incredibly large tapestries, and the Egede House is currently the seat of the government of the country.

Sports

There are plenty of opportunities in the capital to make winter leisure suitable for all tourists. You can ride a dog sled, go mountain climbing, visit the center for snowboarding, skiing, sledding. Helicopter tours, whale safaris and all kinds of trekking become available during the summer and autumn seasons.

Gastronomic tourism

Regardless of the season, the doors to all establishments of the national cuisine of Greenland are open for tourists. Naturally, seafood that can be processed in all kinds of ways is the most popular:

• drying;
• dry;
• baking;
• roasting, etc.

Many delicacies can be seen on the menu, such as seabird eggs, shark meat. Raw seafood dishes seem unusual for foreigners. If someone does not want to eat all this, then it is quite easy to find an institution with a generally accepted cuisine.

Ultimately, it should be noted that getting to Nuuk (Greenland), the photo of which you can see in the article, is not easy, but everyone who can do it will remember the beauty of Greenland nature, its frosty freshness and the charm of the northern lights for a long time.