Narsaq
©
Narsaq

Narsaq

South Greenland village backed by mountains, icebergs, local stone workshops, and Henrik Lund history.

Narsaq is a small village of around 1,900 people in South Greenland, set against a dramatic mountain backdrop. It is a quiet, unhurried place — but one with a surprisingly specific set of attractions for the curious traveler.

The local museum holds equipment and printed works from Frederik Hoegh, a notable local printer and publisher. Nearby stands the home of Henrik Lund, the priest and poet who wrote Greenland's national anthem. The Krystal Palace is a workshop where local stones are shaped and sold, and Narsaq Foto documents life in South Greenland through the photography of John Rasmussen.

At Kayak Harbor you can watch old kayaks, icebergs, and hunters returning with seals — a scene unchanged for centuries. The nearby mountain of Kvanefjeld rewards those who make the climb: you can hunt for tuttupit gemstones in the rock, and uranium deposits have been found in the area too.

Narsaq lies about 475 km southeast of Nuuk.

Guide

Getting There

Narsaq is served by Narsaq Heliport (IATA: JNS), with helicopter connections to Narsarsuaq and other settlements in South Greenland operated by Air Greenland. The helicopter schedule is infrequent and subject to weather; book well in advance, especially in summer.

The alternative is the boat service (dinghy or larger ferry) connecting settlements along the Tunulliarfik Fjord. This is the more atmospheric way to arrive and connects Narsaq to Narsarsuaq (which has the nearest airport with connections to Copenhagen and Reykjavik) and to Qaqortoq, the largest town in South Greenland.

There are no roads connecting Narsaq to other settlements.

Guide

Things to Do

Narsaq is a small place with a specific set of attractions — a brewery, a museum, a craft workshop, and easy access to fjord and mountain landscapes. The kayak harbour and the climb to Kvanefjeld are the main reasons to spend more than a few hours here. The village is close to several Norse settlement sites and to the sheep farming country of South Greenland.