Ultima Thule, stunning views, harsh, barren nature, Thule kamiks, dog sledding and elegant, supple kayakers. Midnight sun, moonshine, dark and magical northern lights. Walrus skulls and polar bear hide on racks, meat parcels and meat stockpiles for the winter's sled trips - these are just some of the things a trip to Qaanaaq - Greenland's northernmost town - can offer you.

Af Svend Erik Nielsen

Ultima Thule is the shining northern star twinkling in the town's arms. This northernmost point is inhabited by 'real' Eskimos. Qaanaaq has much to offer those ready for a logistical challenge and to have their patience tried.  Midnight sun and polar darkness are like day and night. Qaanaaq is a different town with straight roads that were laid in 1953. Further back, past the church, is the white house that now houses the Qaannaaq Museum. This was the base for Knud Rasmussen's seven Thule expeditions. Over 100 years ago, he founded his renowned trade post and the little white house lay at the bottom of the charismatic Dundas mountain close to Thule Air Base.

Day one
Shortly after the red propeller plane from Air Greenland has left the over 200 km wide Melville bay, we fly in over Politiken Brae and Qaanaaq lies straight ahead. You can feel the salt of the polar air in your nose as you climb out onto the runway once the grit has settled.  

Stay with Hans and Grete
The ultimate overnight stay is at Hans and Grete. The town's cosy hotel is polar luxury at its best. Small, cosy rooms with a bathroom and toilet off the hallway. The view of the sea and sea ice, depending on when you visit the area, is really breathtaking and should be enjoyed to the full.  The main lounge with its large windows provides a beautiful setting in the evenings, and at lunch and dinner time is converted to the town's best - and only - restaurant.

Ultima Thule craft shop
Allow for plenty of time in this treasure trove of tupilaks and polar bear heads made from fangs, bones and reindeer teeth . The little blue sign with ice caps signifies high quality and is recognised along the entire coast.  Local artisans produce detail and precision in the figures thanks to their dextrous and artistic hands. The polar bear heads that lie beneath the glass showcase appear lifelike.  Sealskin mittens and slippers are also part of the range. Your credit card might take a beating in this fascinating world, but remember that exporting products made from polar bears or narwhals is forbidden.

The beach
Down at the beach at the foot of the tiny relocation houses there is no fixed programme, but the chances of having an unusual experience are high.  The beach is the town's centre and gossip central. A young boy is having a go at kayaking, while a dinghy arrives with the catch of the day - a narwhal - without its characteristic tooth, but a narwhal all the same.  Then there is 'mattak' (raw whale skin) for everyone and for a brief period in time the beach transforms into the town's local market - also known as 'brættet'.

The shop
There is huge respect for the selection of rifles and ammunition in the shop, which looks more like a local corner shop that sells a bit of everything and nothing. The further north you go, the more the selection of local goods reflects the needs of the whaling family and that supply ships only come twice to three times a year.

Grete's meat stews
Why not finish the day with a good Greenlandic meal at Hans and Grete. Gathered round the table, we await the first dish. And we guessed right: The "mattak" we saw on the beach earlier now lies before us in delicate squares on our plates. The nutty flavour pervades the mouth. This is followed by 'whale suaasat' - a hotchpotch soup of herbs, rice and potatoes - a warming and filling dish. As we let the day's good food and polar impressions digest, our eyes wander to the view from the hotel's panoramic windows.  

Day two - Hiking trip to Piulip Nunaa
After a hearty breakfast at Hans and Grete, it is time for some activity and here the possibilities are endless. There is something for everyone. After a couple of hours light hiking northwards, in the increasingly soft frost heaving ground, we reach the edge of the large ice pancake - or perhaps we should call it the ice layer cake - for the different layers of the ice are now so clear that you get a feel for the age of the ice.  In good weather if you look southwards, out on the horizon you will see the area's great sledding motorway - Politiken Brae - so-named by polar explorer Mylius-Erichsen over 100 years ago.    

Dog sledding
The sledge lunges ahead - you immediately smell the dogs' exhaust fumes and know you are one experience of a lifetime the richer. To be on a sled trip with a Greenlandic sled driver is like celebrating New Years Eve twice - which they actually do in Greenland - you experience both travelling by dog sled and also being close to these wonderful people. Shorter sled trips to the edge of the ice provide good opportunities for seal and bird spotting, and you might even see a walrus. Sled trips can be arranged through Qaanaaq tourist office on tel: 97 14 74 c/o Hotel Qaanaaq.

Siorapaluk
Here in the world's northernmost settlement of Siorapaluk, evidence of the free yet harsh way of life for the whalers hangs on the meat racks, ropes and posts. Large polar bear skins and fresh walrus skulls fight for space on the racks in front of the house of the area's biggest whaler, Ikuo Oshimas. The beach in front of the settlement is brimming with dinghies, oil barrels and meat racks and the long spring sledges, which next spring will take the dogs and sled drivers across the large cracks in the ice. The area's meat graves are prepared during the summer for the following winter's bear hunt. Bear hunting is the lifeline that provides food in your tummy and clothes on your back.

Narwhals at Qeqertat
"Qilalugaq qernertaq" (Narwhal) echoes through the dry air. Just a few minutes ago you could have heard a fork drop from the cliffs, but suddenly the area is a hub of activity. Three whalers in bearskin trousers and kamiks push their kayaks in the water in one single sweep. The traditional narwhal hunting takes place in August-September at the bottom of Inglefield gulf or, as the fjord is known in Greenlandic, 'Kangerlussuaq' (the big fjord). Not long after the kayakers have left the settlement of 'Qeqertat', the needle sharp harpoon is released from the whaler's throwing stick and glides silently through the air towards his prey. The 'avataq' or hunting bladder is attached to the end of the line and helps keep the narwhal above water.
A boat trip to the Qeqertat settlement is commensurate with seeing one of the seven wonders of the world . Ask at the Qaanaaq tourist office tel. 97 14 74 c/o Hotel Qaanaaq   

Day three - Church time
The power and energy with which hymns are sung in the local church is felt right down to the hairs on the back of your neck. The sermon is also a bit different when there is a confirmation, which is noticeable by the dress code: Thule kamiks and polar-bearskin trousers.  The children's costumes are replicated in the giant painting behind the alter.  The painting's dominant shades of colour are blue, symbolic of the snow, ice and sea. And just so we don't forget how far north we are, Jesus is also wearing blue socks with his sandals.  Entry to the church is only possible as part of the service, which is held every Sunday at 10.00.

The Museum
Even before you enter the white house, now a museum, you get a sense of Knud Rasmussen's historical presence. The house, dating from 1910, was the focal point in the trading post that Knud Rasmussen founded together with Peter Freuchen at the foot of the Dundas mountain 100 km south of Qaanaaq.

Almost symbolically the house was moved to Qaanaaq in 1953, when the Thule Air Base was set up. The natural focal point of the house is the sledge in the centre of the room. It is easy to lose yourself in the seven Thule expeditions described in Knud Rasmussen's diaries - a gripping and exciting insight into the lives, activities and world of these people in the last century.