After our trip to Qassiarsuk, we made our way to the Greenlandic city of Nuuk, which is, in many ways, the cultural hub of Greenland.
It’s by far the largest city (around eighteen thousand residents), which feels super big when you’re here. It’s well worth visiting Nuuk in Greenland for at least a long afternoon.
Unlike many of the other stops we made on our Greenland expedition, Nuuk was much less about the nature of Greenland and much more focused on the people of Greenland. This alone made it super interesting to visit, especially as I wanted to learn more about the Greenlandic culture and history.
So, our first stop when visiting Nuuk in Greenland was the National Museum and Archives, right on the shores of the city and well worth visiting for an afternoon trip.
We spent around 60 minutes wandering the exhibits, and it was so interesting to learn about the history of migration through and to Greenland.
The exhibits show everything from the Innuit Norse populations and how they survive(d). The history dates back centuries and is honestly worth a visit. There’s a small entry cost to get inside, but it’s well worth it to dive deep into the cultural history of Greenland.
After our gander around the museum (with Yaya reading every exhibit), we made it to Kunguak Café for a bite to eat.
One of the things I love doing in a new destination is trying the local restaurants and cafes. Naturally, we asked what was good, and they mentioned, without hesitation, the musk ox burger. Within 20- minutes, after grilling and prep, our juicy burgers arrived. They were so good, and I’d definitely recommend stopping for a bite to eat while visiting Nuuk.
Oh, and don’t forget their gelato, which is so yummy.
With about 4 hours to spare, we made it to the Nuuk Art Museum, which houses national works from across the country and celebrates Greenlandic art. It’s a small venue, so don’t expect the Tate Modern, but it’s just as good as the art you consume. Our visit took around 30 minutes, and it’s a lovely little stop on your visit to Nuuk.
Not only that, but a heap of art installations were dotted all around Nuuk. You can easily spot them as you stroll the town. We saw around six along our routes – some easier to find than others.
Another great thing about Nuuk is that you’ll find a fair few local craft stores and souvenir centres. If you’re looking to take a keepsake home, then Nuuk is a great place to shop. If you can, head over to Anori Art, which has heaps of locally produced items and trinkets that you can take home with you.
If you’re fed up with magnets, an authentic item to buy in Greenland is a tupilak, a carved bone statue once used by Inuit populations to ward off and curse enemies. If that’s not your thing, carved soapstone figures are absolutely adorable, too.
We spent around 7 hours visiting Nuuk in Greenland and loved strolling the coastal path and up the rocky crag towards the Hans Egede Statue (a great viewpoint).
It’s a great city for really learning more about the wider country but not the kind of place to visit if you’re more interested in Greenland’s great outdoors and nature. That’s not saying it’s bad – it’s just worthwhile knowing what you’re visiting Nuuk for.
Now, Albatros Expeditions arranged for a bus pick-up from the centre of Nukk, but the weather was so good that we decided to walk back to our ship, Ocean Albatros.
It took around 25 minutes to walk from the centre of Nukk, and although the walk wasn’t breathtaking in terms of scenery, it was incredible to see the wider city itself.
Back on board, Ocean Albatros, we headed straight for dinner. It’s an al-la-carte affair in the evening, so you get a choice of meals from the menu. Best of all, the staff are so accommodating, I’d regularly ask for different sides and a few extras and they were always so lovely.
With a full tummy, we head off to catch some sleep. After all, tomorrow, we were heading to Disko Bay. What a day it was in the capital of Greenland.
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