Qaqortoq

Qaqortoq is the largest town in south Greenland with around three thousand people, built up the slopes around a harbour with painted wooden houses on the rock. Its old colonial square holds Mindebrønden, finished in 1932 and the oldest fountain in Greenland, and the oldest buildings in the town. In 1993-1994 the Stone & Man project had eighteen Nordic artists carve 24 sculptures into the rock faces and boulders around the town, and with later additions there are now more than forty, so the whole settlement works as an open-air gallery.

History

The area has had a continuous human presence since the Saqqaq culture about 4,300 years ago; the Dorset people arrived around 2,800 years ago, the Norse in the late 10th century, leaving the ruins of Hvalsey 19 kilometres north-east of the town, and the Thule Inuit around the 12th century. The present town was founded in 1775 by the Dano-Norwegian trader Anders Olsen for the General Trading Company and named Julianehaab after Queen Juliane Marie, and it became a major centre of the harp seal trade (Wikipedia, Qaqortoq).

What you'll find

• The Stone and Man sculptures - more than forty works carved into the town's rocks.
• The colonial square - the old centre with the 1932 fountain.
• The painted houses - the wooden buildings stepping up the slopes.
• The museum - the collection on Inuit and colonial history.

When to go

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

Practical notes

Until 2026 access was only by boat or helicopter, both weather dependent; Qaqortoq Airport, about five kilometres north of the town, opened in 2026 with domestic flights and a link to Iceland, so check current routes. The sculptures are scattered across the town and a map is needed to find them all. Prices are very high.

Nearby

Hvalsey is northeast by boat, and Uunartoq is south.

Key facts