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Sisimiut, Greenland

Sisimiut, Greenland.

Sisimiut is located approximately 320 km (200 mi) north of Nuuk, and 75 km (47 mi) north of the Arctic Circle,[14] on the eastern shores of Davis Strait, perched on a series of rocky outcrops at the western end of a large peninsula bounded from the north by the Kangerluarsuk Tulleq fjord and from the south by the wide Amerloq Fjord.

The site has been inhabited for the last 4,500 years, first by the Inuit peoples of the Saqqaq culture, Dorset culture, and then the Thule people, whose descendants form the majority of the current population. Artifacts from the early settlement era can be found throughout the region, favored in the past for its plentiful fauna, particularly the marine mammals providing subsistence for the early hunting societies. The population of modern Greenlanders in Sisimiut is a mix of the Inuit and Danish peoples, who first settled in the area in the 1720s, under the leadership of the Danish missionary, Hans Egede.

Architecturally, Sisimiut is a mix of traditional, single-family houses, and communal housing, with apartment blocks raised in the 1960s during a period of town expansion in Greenland.

Climate

Sisimiut lies within the polar climate region, belonging to the E group of the Köppen climate classification. The average high temperature is 10 °C (50 °F) or lower throughout the year. The coldest months on average are February and March which have average highs of −10.2 °C (13.6 °F) and −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) respectively. The warmest months are July and August which have average highs of 9.8 °C (49.6 °F) and 9.3 °C (48.7 °F) respectively and are the only months of the year in which the average lows are above 1 °C (34 °F), both at 3.3 °C (37.9 °F).

Precipitation is very low in Sisimiut, with the greatest amount of rainfall occurring in the second half of the year, between July and December, with August and September being the wettest months. The sea winds from Davis Strait moderate the climate, with the area known for its fogs. Sisimiut has Midnight sun from June 3 to July 9, but there is no true polar night in winter time.

Get in

By air

Sisimiut Airport is located 4.1 km (2.5 mi) to the northwest of the town, at the mouth of the Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay. The airport has a short, 799 m (2,621 ft) runway suitable only for STOL airplanes. Travel outside of Greenland is routed with a change of planes at Kangerlussuaq Airport.

Air Greenland operates flights from Kangerlussuaq and Nuuk daily, several times a week also from Ilulissat, Maniitsoq and Aasiaat. Taxis as well as an infrequent town bus service connect the airport with the center of Sisimiut.

By boat

For most of the year, Sisimiut is served twice-weekly by coastal ferries of Arctic Umiaq Line which link the communities of the western coast. There is also a weekly Royal Arctic Line ferry to Itilleq and Sarfannguit. The port in Sisimiut is the northernmost year-round ice-free port in Greenland, serving as the country's primary maritime base north of Nuuk. The local kayak club operates at the bay harbor east of the port.

Get around

Since the distances are very small, everything is walkable. However, a bus runs every 20 minutes a loop through the town.

Roads in Sisimiut, including the road to the airport, are surfaced, but there is no road linking Sisimiut to any other settlement. In winter dog sled routes are used to link to settlements further north. Snowmobiles are, as a more modern approach, also used.

What to See in Sisimiut

• Taseralik (Cultural center), Postbox 3083, +299 862800. Sisimiut cultural center. It hosts a café, internet café, cinema, theatre/concert hall and conference room. It also has changing art on display, typically by contemporary greenlandic artists. The Sisimiut Culture Day on 21 November is also celebrated at Taseralik.

• Sisimiut Museum, Jukkorsuup aqq. 7 Postbox 308, +299 86 25 50. Located in a historical building near the harbor, the Sisimiut Museum specializes in Greenlandic trade, industry and shipping, with artifacts based on ten years of archaeological research and excavations of the ancient Saqqaq culture settlements near the town, offering an insight into the culture of the region of 4,000 years ago. The exhibition includes the remains of a kayak from the 18th century. The Greenlandic stone exhibition is housed in the Bygge og Anlægsskolen building.

What to Do in Sisimiut

Tourism is becoming increasingly important, with several outfitter companies based in town. Year-round operations offered include dogsledding, heliskiing, guided hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, and boating. During winter, a ski lift operates at the foot of the Alanngorsuaq mountain, at the base of the northern slopes of Nasaasaaq.

The tough, 160 km (99 mi) long Arctic Circle Race takes place each winter, with the trail partially overlapping with the Polar Route from Sisimiut to Kangerlussuaq.

Eat

• Misigisaq, J. M. Jensen-ip aqq. ; P.O. Box 478, +299 86 38 88, +299 86 38 36. Located at the harbor, it is the only Chinese restaurant in the country and it uses Greenlandic ingredients cooked in the Chinese style.

• Restaurant Nasaasaaq, Aqqusinersuaq 86, +299 86 48 40.

Drink

• Starlight.

• Pub Raaja.

Sleep

• Hotel Sisimiut, Aqqusinersuaq 86 Box 70, +299 86 48 40.

• Knud Rasmussen High School (Knud Rasmussenip Højskolia). During summer, the school building is used as a hostel.

• Several camping sites are located in Sisimiut valley and near the Kangerluarsunnguaq bay.

Go next

• Aasivissuit – Nipisat. Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea. Traditional hunting grounds, reportedly containing remains of 4,200 years of human history. This region was in 2018 added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural heritage site. (Wikivoyage, Wikipedia)