Qassiarsuk

Qassiarsuk stands on the site the Norse called Brattahlíð, the farm Erik the Red established around 985 when he brought settlers from Iceland, and it is now a sheep farming settlement of a few dozen people. The foundations of the Norse longhouse and of Thjodhild's church, said to be the first Christian church in the Americas, have been excavated, and full-scale reconstructions of both stand beside them built with turf and stone.

History

Qassiarsuk stands at Brattahlíð on the Tunulliarfik Fjord, the estate of Erik the Red in the Norse Eastern Settlement, where the ruins of living quarters, outhouses and a church can still be clearly seen. The present village was founded on the same spot in 1924 as Greenland's first sheep farm, had 39 people in 2020, and is part of the Kujataa World Heritage Site for its place as Erik the Red's homestead and its testimony to Greenlandic farming (Wikipedia, Qassiarsuk).

What you'll find

• The Brattahlid foundations - the excavated remains of Erik the Red's farm.
• Thjodhild's church - the foundations of what is called the first church in the Americas.
• The reconstructions - full-scale turf and stone rebuildings beside the originals.
• The sheep farms - the working agriculture on the same ground today.

When to go

June to September is the season. The boat from Narsarsuaq takes about ten minutes and runs when weather allows. Winter closes the settlement to visitors.

Practical notes

The reconstructions are modern buildings, not the originals; the actual remains are low foundations. Facilities amount to a hostel and a café. Boat crossings are cancelled in wind.

Nearby

Narsarsuaq is across the fjord, and Igaliku is southeast.

Key facts