Ilulissat / Jakobshavn

Ilulissat and the Icefjord

Ilulissat lies on the west coast of Greenland, about 250 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. The Ilulissat Icefjord is the sea outlet of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, through which ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet flows into the sea. The glacier is one of the most active and fastest-moving in the world; each year it calves vast quantities of ice into the fjord, which is covered with icebergs. The landscape brings together rock, sea and moving glacial ice, making the dynamics of the ice sheet immediately visible. The fjord has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.

A visit can focus on the town, the landscape, or both. The trail to Sermermiut passes through an area that was once inhabited, combining archaeological traces with views of the fjord. From land, visitors see the icebergs from above; a boat trip offers a different perspective on the drifting ice. Each way of visiting reveals a different side of this natural environment. Its exceptional glacial landscape places Ilulissat in the Arctic. As a port of call on a Greenland cruise, the town combines an experience of nature with cultural history.

Museum and cultural history

The Museum of Cultural History is housed in the former Ajoqersuivissuaq Seminary, which was in use from 1846 to 1907, with a break between 1875 and 1900. Knud Rasmussen was born in the building in 1879 and spent his early years in Ilulissat. The permanent exhibitions cover Sermermiut, the town’s development, traditional clothing and the cultural history of Disko Bay. A dedicated section focuses on the kayak and more than a hundred Greenlandic terms for its construction, use and associated tools. Traditional toys are also part of the exhibition.

The museum grounds extend the visit outdoors, with traditional Greenlandic means of transport and a turf house. This connects the history of the town with the living conditions in a region where routes over land and water are shaped by the climate. The view of Disko Bay from the museum building makes the connection between the exhibits and the landscape especially vivid. For a port visit, the museum and Sermermiut offer two distinct, easily combined points of interest: the cultural history of the people and the geological history of the Icefjord.