Uummannaq

As ships are moored or anchored in this port, you will be tendered ashore.

Uummannaq is situated on an island at the foot of the heart-shaped mountain which gave the town its name. The name itself literally means "the heart-shaped". Great kindness and hospitality characterize the local inhabitants, who live 600 km (375 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. In Uummannaq the midnight sun can be experienced from the middle of May to the middle of August and this means many hours of daylight during the summer in which to experience the unique scenery and culture in one of Greenland's most northerly and perhaps most beautiful municipalities.

Activities in Uummannaq's natural surroundings You can, for instance, see lots of enormous icebergs that originate from one of the seven glaciers near Uummannaq; you can test your skills against golf enthusiasts at the spectacular World Ice Golf Championship; or perhaps explore Uummannaq's local museum and visit Santa's workshop. The winter months also offer dogsled trips, whilst in the remaining ice-free periods there are plenty of opportunities to take an excursion to a settlement by boat or helicopter, or even go on a whale safari where the focus is on fin whales.

In Greenland there are no roads connecting the towns, so all transport takes place by plane or by ship. The Arctic climate, which at times can be extreme, places great demands on safety during transport, demands which Greenland's transport companies satisfy in full. When travelling over shorter distances outside the towns the local population use their own boats, dogsleds or snowmobiles.

Souvenirs from Greenland are unique, handmade works of art the like of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Each product is shaped and designed by a Greenlandic artist, who manages to follow tradition and custom, whilst at the same time creating unique works incorporating his or her own ideas and skills. As a visitor, you will have plenty of opportunity to find precisely what you are looking for.

Credit cards can be used at many hotels, restaurants and shops, but it is recommended that you bring a small amount of Danish kroner with you to Greenland, as some ATMs may not be in service at the weekend.

As a visitor to Greenland you will find that you understand absolutely nothing when Greenlandic is spoken – or ‘kalaallisut', as it is called, which actually means ‘the Greenlanders' language'.

Danish is more or less the second language. English less so.

Internet and e-mail – take your laptop with you Hotspots have been established in most major hotels so that you can access the Internet. There are Internet cafés in a number of the bigger towns and at several tourist offices it is also possible to check your web mail.

The mobile phone system in Greenland is GSM 900/1800

In the major towns supermarkets are typically open on weekdays from 10:00 – 17:30, on Fridays until 18:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 – 13:00. In many towns, however, there are corner shops and grocer's shops that have longer opening hours and which are also open on Sundays.