Upernavik

Upernavik sits on a small rocky island in the far northwest, around a thousand people packed onto ground so limited that the airstrip takes up a substantial part of it. Its museum, founded in 1932, is the oldest in Greenland and occupies a group of old timber and turf buildings kept as an open-air complex. The district covers a very large archipelago of settlements strung up the coast, most reachable only by helicopter or boat.

History

The town was founded in 1772, and from the old name of its island it was sometimes known as Women's Island. In 1824 the Kingittorsuaq Runestone was found outside the town, carved by Norsemen probably in the late 13th century with the names of three men and a note about building a cairn nearby; it is the furthest north that Norse artefacts have been found, apart from small items Inuit traders may have carried, and marks the northern limit of known Viking exploration (Wikipedia, Upernavik).

What you'll find

• The museum - the oldest in Greenland, in old timber and turf buildings.
• The rocky island - a town packed onto very limited ground.
• The archipelago - the district's settlements strung up the northern coast.
• The midnight sun - continuous daylight through the summer months.

When to go

June to September is the season when boats run and the sea is open. Sea ice closes the coast for much of the year. Flights are weather dependent and cancelled often.

Practical notes

Weather cancels flights routinely and being stuck for days is normal. Sea ice closes boat access for much of the year. Facilities are very limited and expensive.

Nearby

Qaanaaq is far north, and Ilulissat is south.

Key facts