Venture, Icelandic Sagas & Fjords of Greenland ex Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq

Details

28 Night Cruise sailing from Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq aboard Seabourn Venture.

28 Night Cruise sailing from Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq aboard Seabourn Venture.

Circle Iceland’s coastal Viking heritage round-trip from Reykjavik, and sail deep into Greenland’s towering, colorful fjords to where shining glaciers flow from alpine ranges.

Highlights of this cruise:

Bear Island
The Northeast Greenland National Park is the most northerly and largest national park in the world. It is Greenland’s only national park and is larger than all but 30 of the world’s countries.

Within the park there are many fjords, including the many-branched Scoresby Sound, the largest fjord in the world. At the entry to the Øfjord in Scoresby Sund are the Bear islands (Bjørne Øer), a scattering of low, glaciated rock islands surrounded by broad waterways dotted with icebergs and ringed by distant snow-capped ranges. These islands benefit from warm currents that keep the fjord open even in winter, and attract wildlife including walruses, seals and beluga and bowhead whales. They afford us many inviting landing places, with easy climbs to spectacular views. The islands and their surroundings reveal an epic geological history, particularly where glacial action has planed the surfaces smooth to reveal twisted and rippled layers of differently colored rocks.

Hekla Haven, Denmark Island
On Denmark Island in the extensive Scoresby Sound in East Greenland is a sheltered cove called Hekla Havn, so named for the converted sealer ‘Hekla’ used by Carl Ryder for his 1891-92 sailing expedition to East Greenland. The Ryder party wintered here, and erected stone cairns that still stand on the heights. Some remnants of their buildings are left, along with a much more recent and sizeable hut. The landscape around the cove is dramatic, with tall, stratified basalt ridges and peaks encircling the fjord and rounded, glaciated gneiss domes making up the island itself. Photographers are frequently entranced by the striking patterns of minerals in the rocks here. There are also some older Inuit tent circles and standing stones of interest. On the horizon, immense curving glaciers are evident.

Reykjavik
Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, is the northern-most national capital in the world. Its name translates as ‘smoky bay’, referencing the geothermal nature of the surrounding area. The city benefits from astonishing landscapes shaped by glaciers, earthquakes, and volcanic activity throughout the centuries. An amphitheater of mountains encircles the greater Reykjavik area, a coastline indented with coves, peninsulas and islands. Most of city’s growth came during the early 20th century, and the majority of its architecture is typical of that era. Colorful rooftops and the elegant spire of Hallgrímskirkja Church dominate Reykjaviks’s skyline. Known for its arts, Reykjavik hosts a number of internationally recognized festivals, most notably the Iceland Air music festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.

Vigur
The Westfjords in northwest Iceland is a remote and sparsely populated peninsula of steep, tall mountains cut by dozens of fjords. The lack of flat lowlands suitable for farming played a key role in keeping this region wild and sparsely populated. The raw and untamed natural landscape around Ísafjörður is characterized by a subarctic environment. A colorful show of blooming tundra wildflowers carpets the mountain slopes and valleys during the short, cool summer.

Vigur Island, second largest island in the Westfjords region, is one of the most renowned areas in Iceland for viewing nesting birds en masse. The area’s cliffs host an astonishing wealth of nesting birdlife, while the occasional arctic fox can be spotted patrolling the edges of the bird colonies in hope of an easy meal.

According to Icelandic history, Ísafjörður was first settled in the 9th century by a man called Helgi Magri Hrólfsson. The oldest house in Iceland, built in 1734, can be found in Ísafjörður and is now a part of a local museum.

Ella Island
At the northern end of the King Oscar Fjord in the expansive Northeast Greenland National Park, Ella Island is wedged in the entry to the Kempe Fjord. In the past, the explorer and geologist Lauge Koch had a cabin on the island, and the botanist Thorvald Sørensen spent four years there in the 1930s gathering data for his PhD thesis. The island has exposed areas of very old sedimentary rock containing fossils from the Cambrian era. At present, the island is uninhabited except in summer when a contingent of Denmark’s elite Sirius Sledge Patrol resides in their small base on the island. The island shorelines and the tundra slopes offer spectacular views of the fjord-scape, the nearby Trail and Geographical Society Islands and the Stauning Alps to the southwest.

Akureyri
Akureyri is the second largest urban area in Iceland with a population of around 18,000. Nicknamed ‘The Capital of the North,’ it is situated at the head of Eyjafjörður, the longest fjord in Iceland, only 62 miles (100 km) from the Arctic Circle. Surrounded by snow-streaked mountains, the Akureyri hills flourish in summer with a profusion of arctic wildflowers. Mt. Kerling is the highest peak visible from town, at 5,064’ (1,538 m). Often cloudy, with a mild climate, Akureyri has much less precipitation than its southern counterpart Reykjavik. It is a cultured city, with a university, numerous galleries, museums, art exhibitions, and live theater performances.

Nearby Hrísey Island is a spectacularly beautiful and peaceful island often called ‘The Pearl of Eyjafjörður,’ with an atmosphere of calm and settled tranquility. Numerous Atlantic puffins fly overhead, and the occasional whale is seen traversing the fjord.

Seydisfjordur
The remote town of Seydisfjordur is perched at the end of a narrow, twisting fjord in East Iceland. A very picturesque village of 700 people, it is known for its thriving arts scene and large number of resident artists. Tourism is on the rise, as well, since its natural setting of mountains and waterfalls is simply breathtaking. Surrounded by impressive, 3,560’ (1,085 m) snow-capped mountains, Seydisfjordur is home to the Technical Museum of Iceland, and the area hosts populations of both eider ducks and Atlantic puffins. Settled by Norwegian fishermen in 1848, the town quickly became an important center for trade between Iceland and Europe. It is known throughout Iceland for its colorful Norwegian-style wooden houses.

Heimaey
Heimaey Island is the largest in the Westman Islands located four miles off the south-west coast of Iceland. One of the most visually impressive islands in Iceland, it is ringed by tall, vertical sea cliffs many hundreds of feet high. Heimaey is also the home to over eight million Atlantic puffins, more nesting puffins than anywhere else on earth. A local story tells that puffin chicks, taking their first flights at night, often become stranded in the village streets, where the local children rescue them and set them free the next day.

In January of 1973 the island received the nickname, ‘Pompeii of the North’ when a volcanic eruption and lava flow destroyed half the town. This caused a crisis when the town’s only harbor was nearly blocked by advancing lava. Nowadays it is a lively place with a vibrant culture and over four thousand residents. Archaeological excavations suggest that people lived on Heimaey as early as the 10th Century.

Sermilik Fjord
Sermilik Fjord in southeastern Greenland cuts from the Denmark Strait into King Christian IX Land between Kitak Island and Cape Tycho Brahe, near the town of Tasiilaq. Its name means ‘place with glaciers’ in Greenlandic, and it culminates in multiple glaciers including Helheim, Fenris and Midgard glaciers, which feed a steady flow of icebergs into the fjord. Surrounded by steep mountainous shoreline and filled with sculpted icebergs, it makes a spectacular setting.

Fridtjof Nansen hoped the fjord might offer a route to the icecap for his 1888 expedition to cross the island. But his attempt to enter the fjord was thwarted by the outflow of ice, which pushed his team hundreds of miles southward before they managed to land. Eventually they did cross from Umivik Bay to Godthab.

Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq is the largest city in Southern Greenland with 3,300 inhabitants. The town occupies steep rises above the natural small-boat harbor bounded by fish, shrimp and fur processing plants. It was founded in 1775 by the Dano-Norwegian trader Anders Olsen, working on behalf of the General Trading Company.

Qaqortoq is perhaps best known for its open-air art exhibition, The Stone & Man project, designed to transform the town into an outdoor gallery. The project enrolled the participation of 18 Nordic artist from Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Greenland. Initially 24 stone sculptures were created, utilizing existing rock faces and boulders in the town. Now, over 40 sculptures celebrate Greenlandic culture.

Other points of interest include Mindebrønden, the oldest fountain in Greenland, the Qaqortoq Museum and The Saviors Lutheran Church. Eighteen kilometers northwest of town are the famous remains of the Viking church of Hvalsey. It is the most prominent Norse archaeological site in Greenland and represents the last written record of the Greenlandic Norse, who attended a wedding here in 1408.

Nuuk
Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, is a city of vitality and Greenlandic culture. Here old traditions and modern influences combine to create a diverse population. Nuuk is the home of the University of Greenland, with 650 students, and the Greenland National Museum with extensive historical archives and cultural displays. Also of interest are the Nuuk Art Museum and the Kayak Museum. The Art Museum holds a collection of 300 paintings, primarily featuring the work of traveling European artists, while the Kayak Museum houses a very impressive collection of sealskin kayaks and traditional hunting artifacts. The modest wooden frame of the Nuuk Cathedral, built in 1849, is a recognizable landmark on Nuuk’s skyline.

The site of Nuuk was occupied as far back as 2200 BC by ancient pre-Inuit peoples from Canada. It was settled again in the 10th century by Viking explorers. The current city was founded in 1728 by the Danish missionary Hans Egede, whose statue stands adjacent to the cathedral.

Maniitsoq
Maniitsoq means ‘uneven place’ in Greenlandic, referring to the many rocky knolls and small mountains that shape the geography of the town. Greenlanders like to compare their small towns with world-famous cities. Maniitsoq, intersected by small natural canals, has been dubbed the ‘Venice of Greenland’ by the locals. Colorful houses reflected in the calm water, stunning mountain scenes, smiling and friendly people and the occasional Greenlandic sled-dog are just a few of the photographic opportunities in Maniitsoq. Nearby, awe-inspiring Eternity Fjord is considered by many to be the most scenic fjord in all of Greenland. Glaciers descending from the high peaks are heavily crevassed, resembling the cracked skin of a giant white elephant. The water is dotted with ice of all sizes, most having broken free from the glaciers and calved into the sea. This is a grand landscape, remote, secluded and a treasure for those fortunate enough to explore it.

Sisimiut
Located 24 miles (40 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is “rough, real and remote.” These three words cut to the core of Sisimiut’s reputation as an outdoor adventure-travel hub. It’s the second-largest city in Greenland with 5,600 inhabitants and was founded in 1756 under the leadership of the Danish missionary, Hans Egede. The name is Greenlandic meaning ‘place of fox dens.’ The area has been inhabited for 4,500 years, first by the Inuit peoples of the Saqqaq culture, Dorset culture, and then the Thule people, whose descendants comprise the majority of the current population.

One of the most picturesque towns in Greenland, Sisimiut is set in a tranquil fjord perched on bare outcrops of rock. Mount Nasaasaaq, 2,572’ (784 m) tall, is the backdrop for the town, where colorful houses of bright red, yellow, green and blue stand out in stark contrast to a landscape of gray and white. The Sisimiut Museum hosts a traditional Greenlandic peat house and the remains of an 18th century kayak.