Oaqortoq is the largest town in southern Greenland – population of 3200. We went ashore for a short stroll – mostly a fishing town and furs. Still very remote as the only roads are in the town. We left the town of Oaqortoq around 1;30pm Sailing out of the fiord we saw some really big ice bergs. The captain announce that we were probably going to have some winds around 45mph once we got out in the open sea. By dinner time the captain amended his previous announcement saying that the winds and seas were higher than expected so the evenings show in the main showroom was cancelled due to the rough seas – and the wind speeds were now around 85mph. Pretty rough negotiating our way back to our cabin after dinner but once there, that’s where we stayed. Around 9pm the seas and wind subsided to around 55mph so we had a good nights rest.
Holland ®America
QAQORTOQ, Greenland
Qaqortoq
Eurodam
Port of call September 7th 2014
About Qaqortoq
The town of Qaqortoq is located near the tip of a 70 km (44 mile) long peninsula between the fjords Tunulliarfik (Eiriks fjord) and Igalikup Kangerlua (Einars fjord). The Greenlandic name Qaqortoq means "the white place".
Qaqortoq is the largest town in Southern Greenland with a population of 3200. Qaqortoq is a part of Kujalleq municipality.
This is the heart of the area where Nordic Vikings settled in the 10th century. Erik the red (father of Leif Erikson) set up his farm, Brattahlid, in Eiriks fjord north of Qaqortoq. One of the best preserved Norse ruin is the magnificent Hvalsey church built in the 14th century in Einars fjord just 15 km (9 miles) from Qaqortoq. The last documented witness about the existance of the Nordic settlement in Greenland is a description of a wedding that took place in this church in 1408. What brought the Nordic Viking settlement in Greenland to an end is still a mistery.
Qaqortoq was originally founded in 1775 by a Norwegian trader Anders Olsen. The Danish name of the town was Julianehab named after the Danish Queen Juliane Marie (1729-1796). This became the main trading post in Southern Greenland and still is. The oldest standing house in Qaqortoq was assembled in 1797.
There is no road connecting to Qaqortoq and no airport. Helicopters and ferries are used for public transport. Interestingly no two towns in Greenland are connected with a road.
Stone and man
In 1993 and 1994 the town transformed into an open-air gallery. Eighteen sculptors from
Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Aland and Finland were set free do create sculptures directly in the solid rock face or freestanding rock boulders. They created a total of 24 sculptures that can be found all around town. This unique project was initiated by Aka Hoegh, a sculptor who lives in Qaqortoq.
What to do?
It is a good idea to walk around the town and enjoy the sculptures from the Stone and man project. A leaflet with information and a map that shows the location of the sculptures is available at the souvenir shop at Torvevej.
The town center is nice. There you will find Greenland's only fountain that dates from 1928. Surrounding the fountain square is a number of wooden and stone buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The local museum is here. This is a small but nice museum with interesting artifacts and exhibits.
A small building adjacent to the KNI Pisiffik supermarket at Storesovej is made of spectacular red-pink sandstone from Igaliko, 50 km (31 miles) from Qaqortoq. This sandstone is a metamorphic remnants of a tropical desert from the time when Greenland was located close to the Equator some 1,5 billion years ago. This building used to be the public bathhouse in Qaqortoq.
Shopping
There is a good suvenir shop/tourist info center at Torvevej close to the harbor selling various
Greenlandic items and art.
There are two "large" general stores in Qaqortoq, "KNI Pisiffik" supermarket at Storesovej and
"Brugsen" between the new church and the Post office at Anders Olsensvej.
The bank and the post office are close to the town center. An ATM is in the bank.
The local currency is Danish Krona. 1 USS = approx. 5.5 DKr.
QAQORTOQ, Greenland
Qaqortoq
Eurodam
Port of call September 7th 2014
About Qaqortoq
The town of Qaqortoq is located near the tip of a 70 km (44 mile) long peninsula between the fjords Tunulliarfik (Eiriks fjord) and Igalikup Kangerlua (Einars fjord). The Greenlandic name Qaqortoq means "the white place".
Qaqortoq is the largest town in Southern Greenland with a population of 3200. Qaqortoq is a part of Kujalleq municipality.
This is the heart of the area where Nordic Vikings settled in the 10th century. Erik the red (father of Leif Erikson) set up his farm, Brattahlid, in Eiriks fjord north of Qaqortoq. One of the best preserved Norse ruin is the magnificent Hvalsey church built in the 14th century in Einars fjord just 15 km (9 miles) from Qaqortoq. The last documented witness about the existance of the Nordic settlement in Greenland is a description of a wedding that took place in this church in 1408. What brought the Nordic Viking settlement in Greenland to an end is still a mistery.
Qaqortoq was originally founded in 1775 by a Norwegian trader Anders Olsen. The Danish name of the town was Julianehab named after the Danish Queen Juliane Marie (1729-1796). This became the main trading post in Southern Greenland and still is. The oldest standing house in Qaqortoq was assembled in 1797.
There is no road connecting to Qaqortoq and no airport. Helicopters and ferries are used for public transport. Interestingly no two towns in Greenland are connected with a road.
Stone and man
In 1993 and 1994 the town transformed into an open-air gallery. Eighteen sculptors from
Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Aland and Finland were set free do create sculptures directly in the solid rock face or freestanding rock boulders. They created a total of 24 sculptures that can be found all around town. This unique project was initiated by Aka Hoegh, a sculptor who lives in Qaqortoq.
What to do?
It is a good idea to walk around the town and enjoy the sculptures from the Stone and man project. A leaflet with information and a map that shows the location of the sculptures is available at the souvenir shop at Torvevej.
The town center is nice. There you will find Greenland's only fountain that dates from 1928. Surrounding the fountain square is a number of wooden and stone buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The local museum is here. This is a small but nice museum with interesting artifacts and exhibits.
A small building adjacent to the KNI Pisiffik supermarket at Storesovej is made of spectacular red-pink sandstone from Igaliko, 50 km (31 miles) from Qaqortoq. This sandstone is a metamorphic remnants of a tropical desert from the time when Greenland was located close to the Equator some 1,5 billion years ago. This building used to be the public bathhouse in Qaqortoq.
Shopping
There is a good suvenir shop/tourist info center at Torvevej close to the harbor selling various
Greenlandic items and art.
There are two "large" general stores in Qaqortoq, "KNI Pisiffik" supermarket at Storesovej and
"Brugsen" between the new church and the Post office at Anders Olsensvej.
The bank and the post office are close to the town center. An ATM is in the bank.
The local currency is Danish Krona. 1 USS = approx. 5.5 DKr.