Kangerlussuaq

Greenland’s largest village
Kangerlussuaq means “the big fjord” and is Greenland’s largest village.
Until 1992, the Americans ran a military base in the village with a large airstrip, hangars and other buildings on the large plain at the head of the around 170 km long fjord, and in 2002, Kangerlussuaq was granted the status of a village in Sisimiut Municipality.

Kangerlussuaq received a civil international airport in the 1950s and even today the airport is a pivotal point for traffic in and around Greenland.

Flourishing tourism
The air traffic to and from Kangerlussuaq has opened many doors to tourism and the fauna and nature around the village incites the visitor to widely differing activities.

What makes Kangerlussuaq special, though, is its proximity to the ice cap. A road leads out of the village directly into the ice cap, where you can both hike and climb up (and in) the ice, and if you’re up for real adventure, you can even set off on expeditions by dog sled or skis to eastern Greenland.

The sky around the village is often clear and ideal for trips out into the Arctic nights, where you can see the northern lights and stars without interference from artificial lighting. In the same landscape during the day you’ll be able to see musk oxen and reindeer all year round, with both photo safaris and hunting for musk oxen available as major activities in the area.

What’s more the area is excellently suited for hiking, and among many available hiking trips we should mention in particular the Arctic Circle Trail between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut. This classic Greenlandic hiking trail takes you from moraine formations and interior climate to jagged mountains and coastal climate over a distance of 180 kilometres in uninhabited mountainous wastes along the Arctic Circle.

Inhabitants
Today, 522 people live in Kangerlussuaq, and they work in many areas required in order to run both a civil airport and ensure that visitors to the village have a fantastic experience in the Arctic Circle Region.

We look forward to seeing you in Kangerlussuaq!