Expedition West And East Greenland - Best Of Greenland

The name Kangerlussuaq means "Big Fjord" in the local Kalaallisut language. The settlement of about 500 people is located in western Greenland on flat land at the head of a fjord with the same name. Kangerlussuaq is the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport and most of the economy here is dependent on the air transportation hub and tourism. The rugged lands around the settlement support terrestrial Arctic fauna including muskoxen, caribou, and Gyrfalcons.

Evighedsfjorden, also called “Eternity Fjord,” is a dramatic fjord located on the eastern coast of Greenland. It features steep, glaciated cliffs and deep, icy waters, typical of Greenland’s rugged fjord landscapes. The fjord is largely uninhabited and remote, offering pristine scenery and opportunities to observe Arctic wildlife such as seals, seabirds, and occasionally whales. Its isolation and striking natural beauty make it a destination primarily for adventurous explorers and scientific research.

Deep within the remote wilderness of Northeast Greenland National Park, Alpefjord is a spectacular waterway flanked by soaring, jagged peaks that reach heights of nearly 3,000 meters. This dramatic landscape is defined by the massive Gully Glacier, which spills directly into the fjord's icy waters, creating a stark and awe-inspiring contrast between the vertical rock walls and the flowing white ice. As one of the most secluded spots in the High Arctic, it offers a silent, pristine environment where lucky travelers may spot musk oxen grazing on the tundra or bearded seals resting on drifting ice floes.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.