Things to See and Do in Greenland (Yes, Greenland)

If you are visiting Greenland, you might not be surprised at the remarks you receive when you tell your friends and acquaintances about it. “Won't it be cold?” and “What will you eat?” might be some of the typical reactions you would receive. However, after you get the requisite looks, relax—yes, you can tell people you are visiting Greenland with a straight face. Greenland receives more tourism than a lot of people might think. Go ahead and create a photo journal of your trip to this unique country. The reason is that your friends will not only be surprised, but they will be delighted at some of the fantastic sights to see in the most sparsely populated country on our planet. Consider some of these unique tourist attractions:

Hvalsey Church Ruins

The Hvalsey Church ruins are one of the last remaining remnants of the thriving Viking population that existed in Greenland for many centuries even before Christopher Columbus. The spread of the Christian faith took root among the Norse people by 1000 A.D.. and many churches were erected in Greenland soon after. The church what was most likely built in the 1300s and remains one of the most well-preserved churches in Greenland. The last known ecclesiastical event associated with the church occurred in 1408. There are records in Iceland that tell of a fabulous wedding, and they wrote that many individuals attended that event, which means that there was still a large population in Greenland at that time.

The Oldest Piece of Rock in the World

There is a chunk of the Earth's crust discovered just off the coast of Greenland in 2007 that is now known to be at least 3.8 billion years old. That alone is fascinating, but there's more. This ancient piece of rock also shows evidence of plate tectonics, which proves that the phenomenon has been occurring on planet Earth much longer than previously thought. It also is now recognized as the oldest geologic formation in the world, beating the previous example in China by over a billion years.

The Flowers Tenaciously Blooming on Kaffeklubben Island

The world's most northernmost flowers are located on Kaffeklubben Island, which is just off the coast of Greenland and Cape Morris. Although this island is a polar desert which is lucky to have summers that only last a month, these flowers have a lovely purple hue and sprout off of the permafrost. These flowers are called the Purple Saxifrage and the Arctic Poppy, and they were first discovered to be on this island by Robert Edwin Peary in 1900, and they were first handled by Danish Explorer Lauge Koch in 1921. Unfortunately, visiting Kaffeklubben Island is only possible if you are part of a sponsored expedition that consists of qualified and trained explorers. However, you can see these flowers in the cold areas of Norway and Sweden as well.

Mindenbronden Fountain

Surprisingly, there actually is a fountain in Greenland. Mindenbronden Fountain is located in the town of Qaqortoq. Construction of this iconic Greenland Falcon began in 1927 and was completed in 1932. At that time it was the only fountain on the entire island. This fountain features an original design of whales squirting water out of their blowholes as one of their main spouts.

Conclusion

These are just some of the many things that you can do in Greenland. You also can go hiking among the glaciers and fjords, and you can go whale spotting. You will also fall in love again and again with the hospitality of the local people. Greenland is not just a place that is really cold. Oh, no. It is a hugely underrated and really fascinating place. This article has only barely scratched the surface in regards to this remarkable place.