Nuuk to Nuuk

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 19,000 inhabitants experiencing tremendous cultural and economic growth. Watch for harp seals as you enter the harbor, and hear from local residents to learn how the community has changed over the generations. At the National Museum, examine the extraordinary 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies found near Uummannaq—a discovery that was featured in a National Geographic magazine cover story in 1985. The Arctic ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions and even what they ate.

Evighedsfjord (Eternity Fjord) is a large fjord northeast of Kangaamiut in southwest Greenland. The fjord has a length of 75 kilometers and several branches with numerous glaciers coming down from the Maniitsoq Ice Cap to the north can be seen. The Evighedsfjord has several bends and whenever the ship reaches the supposed end the fjord continues in another direction and seems to go on forever. Qingua Kujatdleq Glacier is at its southeastern end. At the northwestern end, a U-shaped valley has seven glaciers coming down from the mountains but not reaching the water. The glaciers had their maximum extent around the year 1870 and have gone through several cycles of advance and retreat. The mountains on either side of the fjord can reach in excess of 2,000 meters and the fjord has a depth of up to 700 meters. Evighedsfjord’s snowline is at 1,100 meters and the Evighedsfjord region is famous as one of Greenland’s best heli-skiing areas.

Arctic forces were at their most creative when carving out Greenland’s remote Stromfjord Nordre. Layered cliffs reveal millennia of geologic drama along the vast island’s west coast, where steep rock walls cut deep into the land from Davis Strait. Sail through this starkly beautiful fjord system with Silversea’s seasoned expedition team, exploring ice-strewn channels and sheer stone faces. A sense of profound isolation permeates your adventures in this remarkable corner of Greenland’s epic tundra wilderness.

Qeqertarsuaq (also known as Godhavn) is a small town located on Disko Island off the west coast of Greenland, with a population of around 800–900 people. It is known for its unique volcanic landscape, hot springs, and rich Arctic environment compared to much of Greenland. Founded in 1773 as a Danish trading post, its name “Godhavn” means “Good Harbor.” The town’s economy mainly depends on fishing, hunting, and growing tourism, including whale watching and Arctic exploration.

In the iceberg-laden waters surrounding the remote community of Uummannaq it is common to see whales. This area of Greenland is also known for its huge basalt mountains, and the small hunting and fishing village of Uummannaq rests at the foot of the heart-shaped Uummannaq Mountain, a name that translates to mean “in the shape of a seal’s heart”. The town of over 1200 people has a granite church and the country’s most northerly ferry terminal. The economy of Uummannaq revolves largely around the halibut/fish-processing factory.

Scattering chunks of sea ice like confetti, Eqip Sermia Glacier’s 2-mile-wide wall of ice is alive with thrilling activity. Known as the Calving Glacier, this immense formation towers up to 550 feet above the surface. Cracks and rumbles echo through the air from Eqip Sermia Glacier, one of the most active in the Northern Hemisphere. Enjoy the show, as dramatic collapses send mini-icebergs tumbling across the surface and the ship rolls gently on the ensuing waves. Explore this incredible glacier up close, immersed in pure silence, with only the calls of seabirds and the murmurings of the ice breaking the quiet. Eqip Sermia Glacier is retreating quickly, and this rapid movement drives the frequency of its calving events. Found at the terminus of Eqi Fjord, the compacted flow of ancient ice mass spills down through black and white mountains from its roots in the Greenland Ice Sheet - the second-largest body of ice in the world after Antarctica, covering 80% of the island. The deep blues and turquoise hues are caused by centuries of compression. Icy sculptures from Eqip Sermia Glacier and nearby Jakobshavn Glacier and Kangilerngata Sermia Glacier drift toward Disko Bay, where fin, humpback, and minke whales breach and roll through the lively waters.

Known as the birthplace of icebergs, the Ilulissat Icefjord produces nearly 20 million tons of ice each day. In fact, the word Ilulissat means “icebergs” in the Kalaallisut language. The town of Ilulissat is known for its long periods of calm and settled weather, but the climate tends to be cold due to its proximity to the fjord. Approximately 4,500 people live in Ilulissat, the third-largest town in Greenland after Nuuk and Sisimiut. Some people here estimate that there are nearly as many sled dogs as human beings living in the town that also boasts a local history museum located in the former home of Greenlandic folk hero and famed polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.

Known as the birthplace of icebergs, the Ilulissat Icefjord produces nearly 20 million tons of ice each day. In fact, the word Ilulissat means “icebergs” in the Kalaallisut language. The town of Ilulissat is known for its long periods of calm and settled weather, but the climate tends to be cold due to its proximity to the fjord. Approximately 4,500 people live in Ilulissat, the third-largest town in Greenland after Nuuk and Sisimiut. Some people here estimate that there are nearly as many sled dogs as human beings living in the town that also boasts a local history museum located in the former home of Greenlandic folk hero and famed polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 19,000 inhabitants experiencing tremendous cultural and economic growth. Watch for harp seals as you enter the harbor, and hear from local residents to learn how the community has changed over the generations. At the National Museum, examine the extraordinary 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies found near Uummannaq—a discovery that was featured in a National Geographic magazine cover story in 1985. The Arctic ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions and even what they ate.