Qaqortoc and Hvalsey, Greenland

August 1, 2025

We visited our first town in Greenland today. Qaqortoc was very quaint with colorful houses and many wildflowers in bloom.

We did a walking tour and learned a little about living in Greenland. People have lived in this area since prehistoric times over 4,000 years ago. Our guide told us some of this history.

It was a pleasant walk around town.

The oldest fountain in Greenland

Photo by Max Unterharnscheidt

We saw several sculptures and rock carvings that were created for the Stone and Man citywide art project.

Qaqortoq Maiden

Photo by Max Unterharnscheidt

Photo by Max Unterharnscheidt

Photo by Max Unterharnscheidt

Wildflowers brightened up the town everywhere we walked.

We visited the Church of our Savior which is almost 200 years old.

Photo by Max Unterharnscheidt

Afterwards we visited the fish market. In Greenland, it is legal to hunt whale so whale meat and blubber were the main seafood being sold.

There were also large sacks of turnips, a common vegetable in Greenland.

After the tour we visited the museum which focused on historic life in Qaqortoc.

Photo by Max Unterharnscheidt

Afterwards we walked to the town grocery store It was quite small compared to the supermarkets in the United States. However they had a great variety of Kit Kat flavors, many of which I had not seen in the states.

Then we returned to the dock and caught a Zodiac back to the ship. We passed by other ships in the busy Qaqortoq port.

Before our ship set out for Hvalsey, we were treated to a kayak demonstration, featuring a variety or rolls and demonstrating the way kayakers work together.

Hvalsey was just a short ways from Qaqortoc. The highpoint there were the ruins of Hvalsey church. It was one of the first Christian churches built in North America over 1,000 years ago by Norse settlers, and is probably the best preserved. It sits at the foot of a large hill near the shore.