After our day in the Greenlandic Hot Springs of Uunartoq and a good night’s sleep onboard Ocean Albatros, we finally made it to Qassiarsuk (Brattahlíð). This is one of the first settlements of Erik The Red, who was banished from Iceland centuries ago. In fact, it was the first permanent settlement by European settlers that explored the Arctic region.
To this day, there is a presence in the area, and its place in Greeland is preserved for generations to come, not least because it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This all made visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland a must while on our expedition.
We anchored bright and early, around 7 a.m., with the Greenland sun beaming down over the still seas surrounding the coastline. Within a matter of minutes after getting up, we were raring to go. Well, after a quick breakfast and freshly-brewed coffee that is.
Now, one of the easiest ways of visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland is by Zodiac. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a small rubber boat that can get much closer to shore than bigger ships.
Ocean Albatros has a heap of Zodiacs onboard, and they are winched down when guests are due to make landfall. This makes it really easy to visit smaller and harder-to-reach places that big ships can’t get to. They literally open up whole new areas to explore, especially in countries like Greenland, where harbours are at a minimum.
We boarded our zodiac from Ocean Albatros and headed towards the small jetty in Qassiarsuk. There’s no large-scale harbour or any other way to get to Qassiarsuk – just this small jetty, which leads straight into Qassiarsuk itself.
It’s a tiny town, more of a community of around 15 houses. This, on the face of it, sounds pretty vanilla, but trust me, it made it extra special. It felt so special to be visiting such a small but historically important place – it really didn’t matter about the size or the amount of people around.
Visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland is all about the quieter pace of life, and it really felt like that as soon as we arrived. Plus, that’s the beauty of Greenland, after all.
It’s one of the least-populated countries in the whole world. Each landfall you make in far-flung regions feels like an authentic expedition. You’re discovering new places you may never have considered visiting before. Well, at least for me, that was the case.
I mean, I knew a good few places I wanted to visit, but every other stop and expedition was a bonus for me. Qassiarsuk is definitely a very happy bonus.
Anyway, I’m rambling again.
After making landfall at Qassiarsuk, we met a local guide who explained the full history (in detail) of Erik the Red. He knew his stuff and it made visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland so worthwhile. Like, I’m not ashamed to say I didn’t know loads about Erik the Red beforehand – now, I leave as a fully-fledged historian!
I don’t want to spoil the tour, but it really gave insight into the lively and pretty traumatic history of Eric the Red and his banishment from Iceland.
Our tour took around 60 minutes, and we ended up visiting the traditional stone houses and churches built centuries ago. It was, in fact, the first Norse settlement in Greenland, and it was so incredible to see.
The reconstructions are now in pride of place in Qassiarsuk to explore and we headed into Thodhildur’s church of Brattahlid and learned so much more about early Norse settlers.
Plus, the original foundations still exist, just opposite the red church in town. It’s so epic to see.
We wandered across the dirt tracks, meandered the rolling hills, said hi to some of the locals and eventually made it to the statue of Eric the Red, which overlooks the town.
The views from here were spectacular, and we could see right across the Tunulliarfik Fjord and Narsarsuaq across the water. It all felt so special. We ended up just sitting here for a good 45 minutes, enjoying the view and the sheer silence of Greenland.
The whole place is tiny, but it is absolutely worth the visit for its history and charm. Naturally, we went into the local store to grab some snacks before boarding our Zodiac back to Ocean Albatros. It’s the only store in the small community, and they sell everything and anything you could ever want. From chocolate to iPhones, they had it.
After boarding, we quickly changed and made it for dinner in the main restaurant on level 5. We bagged a table by the window and watched the views around Narsaq, where the mountains gave way to the ocean. It was bliss.
As the anchor rose on Ocean Albatros, we returned to the open ocean around the Labrador Sea. Our sights were set further north. To Nuuk, the capital city of Greenland.
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