Qaqortoq

A pearl in South Greenland
With its almost 3,000 inhabitants, Qaqortoq is South Greenland’s largest town and perhaps one of the most charming and attractive towns in the whole of Greenland. The town has a pleasant centre with a small square containing Greenland’s oldest fountain. There are also strikingly beautiful colonial buildings dating back to 1775 when the town was founded. The primary industries in the town are fishing, service and administration, and as the centre of education for South Greenland, Qaqortoq’s streets are characterised by the many students living here.



Culture in the ascendancy
The culture project ‘Stone and Man’ can be seen as an open invitation to explore the town to find the 30 different motifs that are chiselled into rocks and stones by local and Scandinavian artists. Vor Frelser Kirke (the Church of Our Saviour) from 1832 and the town’s two museums are also well worth a visit. One of the town’s most important places of work – Great Greenland Furhouse – is often open to visitors. Short hikes around the town are also possible, for example around the big lake.

Excursions outside the town
From Qaqortoq you can visit settlements by boat, for example Eqalugaarsuit or the Norse Episcopal residence at Igaliku. A few hours by boat northeast of the town you will find Greenland’s best-preserved Norse ruin, Hvalsey Church, and further south there are hot springs on the island of Uunartoq. The tourist office in Qaqortoq also offers sports fishing trips, kayak sailing, overnight stays at sheep-holding stations and many other excursions.



Connections to Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq can be reached from South Greenland’s most important gateway, Narsarsuaq airport, by both helicopter and ship. The towns in South Greenland are located close to each other and there is a good helicopter route network and regular boat and ship connections, which are, however, prone to disruption by modest amounts of fjord ice in the winter and drifting field ice in the summer.

See a map of Qaqortoq