A Winter in Greenland
Those who are indifferent to the heat, those who count the days for the summer to end, those who love a white nature, those who are curious about the Northern Lights… Here’s what you need to know about Greenland.
The most important thing…
The fascinating view of the northern lights, the sled ride with the dogs, the splendor of the huge ice floes, the life of the locals, the conversation of the fishermen… Although it looks like an interesting trip planning, if you are going in winter, the most important thing you need to know about Greenland is that the temperature is -50 degrees.
Know the Terms in Advance
First of all, you can only fly from Copenhagen in winter. That’s once a day. There are no roads in Greenland. The longest paved road is on a strip of about 15 kilometers, with around 500 people living there. If we say that there is transportation by sea, this does not fully reflect the truth. Because some settlements are visited by a ship every two weeks, which cannot be reached because the sea is frozen in winter. There’s a helicopter, but that’s also a matter of money. So the best option is traditional sleds pulled with dogs that are still used by the public.
How will you travel?
How can you travel this difficult and wide geography where there is no land road, transportation between villages and towns is provided by helicopters, but where possible, access to runways built in places is provided by propeller planes? 82% of the country is covered with ice. In other words, there is an ice-free area of approximately 400 thousand km2. This ice-free area is only near the coastline. It is not the north, but the southern regions… The north is always ice! An excursion by ship that includes Disco Bay and the Illulissat will be both comfortable and the right plan. It will be a very rich program in terms of culture, as this is the region where the lives of the Inuit, the indigenous people of Greenland, will be best observed and where their villages and towns are most concentrated. Also, the views are sure to be impressive, as the Illulissat Glacier, the most active glacier in the Northern hemisphere and creating spectacular icebergs, is also here.
The Journey Begins
In the light of this information, your journey begins when you land at Kangerlussuaq Airport. This is the II. It was an air base established by the Americans during World War II. A large population stationed here allowed supplies to be supplied to England and other parts of Europe in times of need. During the cold war years following the war, Russia was tried to be kept under surveillance thanks to the tracking and monitoring tools placed at the northernmost tip of Greenland. At that time, this airbase in Kangerlussuaq remained extremely active. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, the necessity of this base disappeared and the Americans withdrew. Today, 500 people live in Kangerlussuaq and almost all of them are there thanks to the airport and tourism. The port can be reached by the 15-kilometer road that connects the airport to the port. The Fram ship here is quite famous. A modern-day traveler version of the famous ship that accompanied Nansen and Amundsen’s expeditions in the 1880s. By the way, Fram means forward. True to its name, this ship can actually travel to many places very comfortably. You can reach Inuit villages where only 60 people live, draw zigzags between icebergs, enter even the shallowest harbors and coves. These are places you can’t reach with sledges. It is certain that there will not be another ship that befits the name it bears. On this trip, you have the opportunity to see places where very few people go, from abandoned mining towns to the country’s UNESCO heritage Ice Fjord, villages where a few hundred people live, and settlements with only sixty people left. He can learn about the difficult lives of the Inuit people intertwined with nature. You can taste the fish soup they cook, and you can even play ball with them on the endless football fields. Unexpected riches in museums in tiny towns, whales you will see, the sun that never sets, can make you feel like an explorer.
Except this…
There are many more places to visit and see in Greenland, which does not end with this. Uunartoq Hot Springs Uunartoq Island is one of Greenland’s hottest spots. The average water temperature is between 37-38 degrees throughout the year. Uunartoq Hot Springs is located in the Municipality of Kujalleq in southern Greenland, close to the residential area of Alluitsup Paa. If you want to warm up a little in such a cold place and swim in the healing waters, you should take the road to Uunartoq Hot Springs.
Sisimut
Greenland is famous for being one of the few places in the world where the Northern Lights can be watched. Although the Northern Lights are visible all year, they especially illuminate Sisimiut in winter.
Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq, with a population of around 3300, is the largest city in Southern Greenland and perhaps the most beautiful and colorful city in Greenland. A dazzling harbor down the hills and multicolored wooden buildings around the harbor add an authentic feel to the town. We definitely recommend you to visit a small square with Greenland’s oldest fountain and its surroundings.
Tasiilaq
Tasiilaq is a beautiful village in the center of Greenland’s east coast with a harbor surrounded by high mountains. It is also known as the most populous community on the east coast. There are almost all facilities that give the village a city feel. Hotel, restaurant, post office, bakery, bookshop, hospital, museum and helicopter field… The most popular winter activities in the village are ski tours, dog sledding tours, sea kayaking, whaling, fishing, helicopter tours and the Valley of Flowers behind the town. nature walks.
