15 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Greenland - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Greenland

The Oldest Chunk of Rock in the World

The 3.8 billion-year-old rock proves that tectonic plates may have been shifting longer than we thought.

Tasiilaq, Greenland

Kulusuk

Small Island off the coast of Greenland.

Camp Century (Project Iceworm)

A Cold War atomic camp buried under the ice is now emerging because of global warming.

The Flowers of Kaffeklubben Island

The world's northernmost flowers cling tenuously to life on desolate Kaffeklubben Island.

Ikateq, Greenland

Bluie East Two

A surprisingly beautiful abandoned World War II military base in East Greenland.

Summit Camp

This remote research station sits amid the second-largest ice sheet on the planet.

Nuuk, Greenland

Qilakitsoq Mummies

These eight mummies are the best-preserved human remains ever discovered in North America.

Thule, Greenland

Infrasound Station IS18

Neither bomb blasts nor heartbeats escape the giant ears of this super sci-fi Arctic outpost.

See All 15 Things to Do in Greenland See All 15 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

Greenland and Wild Labrador: Expedition Cruise

Scott Sporleder

Explore Greenland

Launch Map

Greenland Leaderboard

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Places Visited

Recent Greenland Activity

britts3 wants to go to Santa’s Mailbox

britts3 wants to go to Mindebrønden

britts3 wants to go to Bluie East Two

britts3 wants to go to Summit Camp

britts3 wants to go to Qilakitsoq Mummies

Stories
About Greenland

Overhunting led to smaller and smaller walruses, until the Viking colony on Greenland became unviable.

How Vikings Hunted Themselves Off of Greenland

Even marauding Norsemen can be guilty of entrepreneurial overreach.

by Isaac Schultz

January 15, 2020

Furry, four-legged friends helped humans range across the Arctic.

Sled Dogs Have Long Been Central to Life in the Arctic

It certainly beats walking.

by Isaac Schultz

December 6, 2019

The sushi selection at Charoen Porn includes mattak (whale skin).

In Greenland, Thai Restaurants Serve Whale Skin Sushi and Reindeer Pad Krapow

A large immigrant community has made their cuisine popular.

by Katie Lockhart

September 30, 2019

Tourists admiring the Ilulissat Icefjord.

The World’s Fastest Glacier Is Loud, Dangerous, and Transfixing

For those in the Greenlandic town of Ilulissat, it's also an enchanting neighbor.

by Matthew H Birkhold

A modern reproduction of Erik the Red’s house on his estate (known as Brattahlíð) in present-day Qassiarsuk, Greenland.

The Vikings Got Lucky and Hit Greenland During a Warm Spell

But it didn’t go well for them when things got cold again.

by Jonathan Carey

February 7, 2019

A map of the topography, showing the crater.

A Massive Meteorite Crater Has Been Hiding Under Greenland's Ice

It ranks in the top 25 largest impact craters ever discovered.

by Sarah Laskow

November 15, 2018

Greenland's melting ice from above.

Exploring the Tragic Beauty of Greenland's Melting Ice Sheets

From above, the textured landscape can be almost abstract.

by Sarah Laskow

November 5, 2018

Polar bears dine on a bowhead whale carcass on Wrangel Island, Russia.

Dead Whales Once Saved Polar Bears From Climate Change, But Not This Time

Less sea ice and fewer whales mean a grim outlook.

by Matthew Taub

October 10, 2018