Upernavik

At Upernavik, vessels moor or anchor and tenders carry passengers to shore.

At 72 degrees north, Upernavik lies so far north that many visitors feel they are on top of the world. Appropriately, the town's highest point, at 151 metres or 500 feet, is named Life's Summit. This position also gives Upernavik the world's northernmost open-air museum. Distinctive wildlife dominates the area, including Apparsuit, the world's largest bird cliff. Qaarsorsuaq, another famous mountain and the town landmark, rises 1,100 metres (3,600 feet).

More than half the Municipality of Upernavik's 3,000 residents occupy ten settlements spread along 450 km (280 miles) of coast. Fishing for Greenland halibut is the primary industry; during winter, long lines catch it through the ice. The frozen sea from December until June makes fishing grounds accessible by dogsled or snowmobile. Between February and April, dogsled journeys are an obvious visitor choice because of the ice and magnificent Davis Strait views.

Greenland's towns have no connecting roads, so travel between them is by plane or ship. The sometimes extreme Arctic climate imposes considerable safety demands that Greenland's transport companies meet in full. Local people cover shorter distances outside towns in their own boats or on dogsleds and snowmobiles.

Whaling also has a central employment role in the settlements. In Melville Bay, narwhals are still taken traditionally by kayak, while beluga whales and polar bears are hunted too. Seals have likewise been caught for thousands of years, either in nets beneath the ice or while sunning on it in spring. Upernavik can organise several tourist hunting trips, and the area is ideal for kayaking between settlements or chartering a boat for a distinctive sailing journey.

Greenland's souvenirs are unique handmade artworks that cannot be found anywhere else. Every item is designed and shaped by a Greenlandic artist, who follows custom and tradition while adding his or her own ideas and abilities. Visitors have plenty of opportunities to find precisely the piece they want.

Credit cards work in many hotels, restaurants and shops. Bringing a little Danish kroner to Greenland is recommended, however, because some ATMs may not operate at weekends.

A visitor to Greenland will understand absolutely nothing when Greenlandic is spoken. Known as ‘kalaallisut', its name actually means ‘the Greenlanders' language'.

Danish is more or less the second language, while English is less widely used.

Internet and e-mail: bring your laptop. Hotspots have been installed in most major hotels so guests can access the internet. Internet cafés are available in a number of bigger towns, while several tourist offices also make it possible to check web mail.

Greenland's mobile telephone system is GSM 900/1800.

Supermarkets in major towns typically trade on weekdays from 10:00 – 17:30, on Fridays until 18:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 – 13:00. Many towns also contain corner shops and grocers with longer hours, including Sunday opening.