Isolated Awe in Arctic Ilulissat
Seen from above, historic Ilulissat faces the Icefjord
“By its very nature the beautiful is isolated from everything else.” ― Hannah Arendt
Awesome Ilulissat is located in western Greenland 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and 573 km (418 mi) north of the capital, Nuuk. Its name aptly translates as “icebergs”, and it is indeed a place where land meets the icy sea, as the town overlooks the long Ilulissat Icefjord, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Disko Bay. Founded as the trading station Jakobshavn (Jakob’s Harbor) in 1741 by Jakob Severin at the behest of Danish King Christian VII, it is Greenland’s third largest town with 4600 inhabitants.
Ilulissat offers exhilarating adventure, even in the off-season when it isn’t yet summer or even spring, but the complete darkness of winter has gone. Enough snow still covers the ground for the dog sleds, northern lights can make appearances, and sailing on the fjord is less torturously cold. There are snow days and blue-sky days that melt into fantastic sunsets.
In the traditional town, brightly painted wooden houses sit between snow-covered peaks and the sea, especially in the Illumiut neighborhood. The two-story birthplace of polar explorer Knud Rasmussen, whose father was stationed here as a pastor from 1873-1895, is now the historical museum. Schooled in Denmark, Rasmussen returned to lead seven Thule polar mapping and cultural expeditions, wishing his work to lay a foundation for respecting the Greenlandic way of life. Next door, the wooden Zions Church is where Rasmussen’s father preached.
Across town, the Ilulissat Art Museum features scary Inuit masks, landscape paintings, and traditional art. In their nearby workshop, artisans allow visitors to watch them craft seal teeth, walrus tusks, and whalebone into the art they sell. Another intimate experience is visiting a family’s home for a chat, and to see and touch their hunting trophies, and Greenlandic decorations of small tusk and bone figures, traditional clothing, dolls, skin cushions, and ulo (traditional Inuit knives).
At the harbor, fishing boats head in and out at all times of day to catch halibut, which along with shrimping, remains a staple of the local economy. Fisherman ready their boats regardless of weather, even as smaller craft sit on the inlet’s thick ice. From the same harbor, excursion boats sail out among giant icebergs alongside Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the world’s fastest and most active glaciers, for an unbeatable experience.
Thousands of Greenlandic sled dogs live in colonies at the town’s edge, where older dogs are chained, and pups up to 5 months old frolic freely. The thousand-year-old traditional transport mode hasn’t changed in technology or appearance. No other dogs are permitted, and Greenlandic sled dogs must be held north of the Polar Circle; once a dog has been south, it cannot return. It takes 7-10 dogs aged 2-7 to pull a sled with 300 kg (661 lbs.) of halibut (or tourists) for hours. Even as climate change is reducing travel over the ice by dog sled, the ride is exhilarating.
The Icefjord Center near town, a modern glass museum/café, is the starting point for a hike to the Sermermiut settlement. Evidence of Inuit living at the mouth of the fjord dates back 4500 years, and in summer, ruins are visible in the permafrost. The last of the Thule culture Inuit, who arrived 800 years ago, moved into town in the early 1800s. Passing the cliffs, there’s a view from a hilltop over the Icefjord.
Don’t Miss:
Taking a boat ride on Disko Bay for a closeup experience of towering icebergs.
Serendipity:
Finding the unexpected: seeing a notice hanging in the hotel lobby with an invitation to visit a local family for an unforgettable experience.
Lunch Tip:
Restaurant Rooftop at the Hotel Ilulissat in town for soups, sandwiches, and a fantastic view.
Dinner Tip:
Brasserie or Restaurant Ulo in the Arctic Hotel for the fresh fish or burgers of a reindeer, musk ox, and beef combination.
Bedtime:
Arctic Hotel across the harbor from town, where every room has a front-row view of Disko Bay.
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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D5600 or iPhone 14 Pro.*