Hvalsey Church Ruin

The church at Hvalsey, in Greenlandic Qaqortukulooq, stands almost to its full height with its gables and window openings intact, which makes it by far the best-preserved Norse building in Greenland. A wedding held here in September 1408, recorded in Icelandic sources, is the last documented event in Norse Greenland; after it the record simply stops. The farm buildings around it and the fjord setting complete the site, which is a component of the Kujataa listing.

The main sights

• The standing church - stone walls, gables and window openings largely intact.
• The 1408 wedding - the last recorded event in Norse Greenland, held here.
• The farm ruins - the buildings of the estate around the church.
• The fjord setting - the site on the shore below the mountains.

When to go

June to September is the season for boats from Qaqortoq. Weather cancels crossings. Winter closes access entirely.

Before you go

Access is by boat only and depends on the weather. There are no facilities at the site. What happened to the Norse after 1408 is unknown and the site does not answer it.

Nearby

Qaqortoq is northeast, and Igaliku is north.