Nuuk--Greenland's Capital

August 3, 2026

We visited Nuuk today. We took the shuttle to the church and walked to the museum to learn more about Greenland's history.

The old hospital with the church and a statue of Nuuk's founder, Hans Egede in the background.

Nearby was a monument honoring Jonathan Petersen who wrote Greenland's national anthem, "Nunarput, utoqqarsuanngoravit" ("You, Our Ancient Land").

We walked above an interesting beach with tide pools on our way to the museum.

At the end of the beach below the old hospital was the statue, "Mother of the Sea" honoring the Inuit goddess, Sedna. It was sculpted by the artist Aka Hoegh.

The Inuit and other indigenous Arctic people invented the kayak which was originally made with animal skins stretch over a wooden frame. Kayaking remains a popular sport in Greenland today.

The museum featured exhibits showcasing the life and art of the native Greenlanders.

The most famous exhibit was the Qilakitsoq mummies discovered by two brothers while they were out hunting. When they were buried under a cairn of stones around 1475, the extremely cold temperatures mummified their bodies, preserving them and their clothing.

Outside the museum were machines used for extracting the oil from whale blubber. This oil would then be used to light oil lamps. It burned brighter and with less smoke than other oils.

Later in the day, we went on a cruise through the Nuuk Fjord to a beautiful waterfall with a glacier overhead.

As we watched, a rainbow formed in the glistening water.

A flock of great black-backed gulls flew by and up over the glacier.

The geological formations in the rock were also fascinating.

The icebergs in the area were beautiful. It was fun imaging what they resembled - like watching clouds in the sky.

On our way back, we had great views of Sermitsiaq Mountain.

The light was beautiful as it hit the rocky slopes.

Soon, the city of Nuuk was insight with its colorful houses.

A variety of gulls were on shore.