Paamiut

Paamiut sits on the west coast between Nuuk and the southern towns, a town of some 1,300 people that lived on cod until the stocks dwindled in 1989 and has struggled since. Its wooden church of 1909, painted red with a shingled spire, is among the finest in Greenland. The surrounding fjords hold one of the denser populations of white-tailed sea eagle in the country, and boat trips go out for them.

History

People have lived in the Paamiut area since around 1500 BC. The trading post of Frederikshaab was set up by Jacob Severin's company in 1742 and named after the Crown Prince Frederick, later King Frederick V of Denmark; it prospered on fur and whale products, became known for its soapstone artists, and in 1909 gained a wooden church in the Norwegian style, while a cod industry boomed from the 1950s until the stock dwindled in 1989 (Wikipedia, Paamiut).

What's there

• The 1909 church - a red wooden building with a shingled spire.
• The sea eagles - one of the densest populations in Greenland in the surrounding fjords.
• The old harbour - the colonial-era buildings around the waterfront.
• The cod history - the fishery whose collapse shaped the town.

When to go

June to September is the season for boats and hiking. The coastal ferry calls on its schedule. Winter is dark and connections are limited.

Good to know

The town has declined since the cod collapse and parts of it are empty. Facilities for visitors are very limited. Flight and ferry connections are infrequent.

Nearby

Ivittuut is south, and Nuuk is north.

Key facts