Ilulisat is a town in the municipality of Kasuitsup in western Greenland, located approximately 200 km north of the polar circle.
Inuit settlements have existed in the fjord area (declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2004) for at least three thousand years. The abandoned Sermermiut settlement two kilometers south of the modern village of Ilulissat was once among the largest settlements in Greenland with around 250 inhabitants. The modern town was founded in 1741 by the Danish missionary Poul Egede and by the merchant Jakob Severin who established a commercial accommodation in the area.
The fjord located here gives a special beauty and charm to the city, and thus contributes to the main industry to be tourism. Ilulissat is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greenland due to its proximity to the picturesque Ilulissat Icefjord (Ilulissat Fjord), and tourism is now the main industry of the town. Ilulissat was the birthplace of the famous polar explorer Knud Rasmussen and his childhood at home in the center of the settlement is now a museum dedicated to him.
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Access : Coordinates: 69.216667, -51.1 / The city is located approximately in the middle of the country’s west coast and 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.
/ Ilulissat can only be reached by sea or by air. Air Greenland offers regular flights from Ilulissat Airport. The shipping company Diskoline, founded in 2004, links Ilulissat to Asiaat, Qeqertarsuaq, Oqaatsut, Qeqertaq, Saqqaq, Qasigiannguit, Kangaatsiaq, Kitsissuarsuit, Akunnaaq and Uummannaq.
Highlights :
- Ilulissat Ice Fjord is located in the town of Ilulissat between the Linglan Ice Sheet and the south of Disco Bay. To its east is the famous Jacob Glacier in the northern hemisphere- You can see many ice giants of 30 meters in height, while 80% of the iceberg is under water! They can be seen at a distance of 1-2 kilometers from the city, and this sight is really worth a trip to Ilulissat. In 2004, Ice Fjord was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Illulisat is also widely known by its Danish name Jakobshavn (“Port of Jacob”),The main landscape of the area is, of course, the ice surface and icebergs. No wonder Ilulissat is perhaps the best place to observe the ice giants.
- The abandoned settlement of Sermermiut, two miles south of the city of Ilulissat, was one of the largest in Greenland with about 250 inhabitants.
- There are many fish and marine mammals in coastal waters: whales, seals, and fur seals.
- Tourists are attracted by the incredible contrast of endless ice and wildlife: the Sermermiut Valley near the city has a fertile topsoil, which allows more than 300 species of plants to grow here. In the spring, after melting snow, beautiful flowers and all kinds of greens bloom in a riot of colors: marsh tea, dropsy, the national flower niviarsiak, blueberries and cranberries.
- The urban architecture of Ilulissat is all the same colorful houses, as in other towns of Greenland.- Among the city attractions of Ilulissat, the Museum of Art and the Knut Rasmussen Museum should be noted.
- In addition to the icebergs, Ilulissat is a city of dogs, there are at least as many draft dogs as there are people.
- Excursions to the northern Eki glacier are also organized from Ilulissat. Here you can spend two days admiring the unique natural views.
- Brættet fish market, where fishermen offer their customers a catch: a lot of different fish, whale meat and seals. You can also buy poultry and deer meat here.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / Helicopter trips over the ice plateau of the Sermek Kuyalek glacier / Tourists can visit the city, hike in the mountains, sail, dog sled and visit the ice fjord. There are several thousand sled dogs in Ilulissat
/ Other activities include dog sledding, kayaking around Disco Bay, whale safaris and sea fishing.
Go next : the Inuit village of Rodebay, where 46 inhabitants and 200 sled dogs live / Oqaatsut : a village in Western Greenland.
