Things to do in Nuuk
Nuuk. It’s the capital of Greenland. Population: approx 16, 500.
As the country that leads the way in terms of epic nature, the temptation is to get right out there and skip the city exploration. However, we think that’s a mistake, because if you do that, you will end up missing out on a fair bit of context. In a country where the land, weather and climate has the final say on matters, it’s important to understand how people have historically lived in Greenland, and how they do so today.
As the centre of modern Greenland, a visit to Nuuk will fill you in on the full story. As well as a lot of other great things. Here are 7 things to do in Nuuk to get you started. In no particular order.
The National Museum
Right by Nuuk’s old harbour, The National museum details Greenland's long history, all the way up to the present day. Greenland has a long history of settlement, starting 4500 years ago with the first Inuit settlers all the way through to the Danish settlement in the last two centuries. Greenland even has Inuit mummies! They are the oldest human remains ever found in Greenland, discovered by accident and found in two graves, a meter apart.
Katuaq Cultural Center
A perfect marriage of Nordic architecture and Greenlandic tradition, styled to pay homage to the dancing Northern Lights. The Kutuaq Cultural Center has a calendar full of events, permanent and temporary art exhibitions and there is a nice cafe and restaurant.
Nuuk Art Museum
Nuuk art museum houses a collection of Inuit art and art from the Danish settlement period, as well as a newer series from Emanuel A. Petersen. There also some nice temporary exhibitions. Well worth a visit!
Nuuk Cathedral
The fact that there is a cathedral in Nuuk is a testament (pun intended) to the christian influence on the nation, since the Inuits had an entirely different belief system before settlement from Denmark. You might recognise the Lutheran style of the church from those of Iceland for example. It is an important center of celebration on National Day (June 21st) too. June 21st also happens to be the days of the summer solstice, the day of greatest daylight.
Qoornoq
This is more like a day trip from Nuuk, but still pretty great. Just a hour away from Nuuk and nestled in the Nuuk fjord system is a small village that was abandoned in the 1970s which is temporarily re-populated in summer. You can get there by boat in about an hour, and it's quite a ride. A piece of Greenlandic history frozen in time. There’s a great experience where you can catch a fish and have it cooked for you within 20 minutes too on the same trip.
Gastronomy
Take traditional Greenlandic ingredients and throw in some contemporary nordic cuisine, and what do you get? An epic fusion! Nuuk is certainly a culinary destination as much as anything else. There are a few places dotted around town that you should try.
Hiking
Nuuk has a range of hiking trails and a range of difficulties to suit anybody. Check out th etrails below for some hiking inspiration.
Around and to the peak of Quassussuaq (Little Malene)
This is an easy trail for June to September: keep the mountain on your right and there is next to no chance that you will get lost. The view from the top of Little Malene offers a panoramic view of Nuuk and the surroundings. As you can see, it’s well worth the hike.
For the summit, start at the ski lift and go all the way up to the top! This trail can be broken up into two if you want to do just one of them, the hike around the mountain being the easier of the two.
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We hope you enjoyed our little roundup; Nuuk and it's surroundings have quite a bit to offer, and it would be a pity to miss it for sure.
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