Tourist Information.

Narsarsuaq is a small community with aprx 200 people mainly employed at the airport or the associated hotel. It is an independent facility with its own power station, harbor and workshops. In the surrounding inlets a few hundred people make their existence, mainly as sheep-farmers and fishermen.

View from Narsarsuaq towards Northeast.

The nearest towns are Narsaq and Qaqortoq (Julianehaab). Narsaq has a population of 1.800 people and is located 50km southwest of Narsarsuaq. Qaqortoq with 3.000 people is located 65km south southwest of Narsarsuaq. There are no highways in Greenland, and all connections between towns are by boat or aircraft.

View from Narsarsuaq Habor towards Southwest.

Narsarsuaq was built during World War II as a US Army Air Base, and the old officers mess is now a museum. The museum contains primarily information about Narsarsuaq as US military base from 1941 to 1958, but also covers earlier and later periods.

Tours with boats out of Narsarsuaq are arranged. You can go to Qagsiarsuk and Igaliko, where Erik the Red and his people lived more than one thousand years ago, or to the Ice Fjord and Black River area, where seabirds and seals can be seen between the icebergs.

Also charter flights with helicopters are arranged. Flights are conducted to one ore more interesting places in the vicinity of Narsarsuaq, and you can make some great aerial photos.

Qagsiarsuk with Erik the Red`s settlement " Brattahlid ".

Another activity is a guided walk from Narsarsuaq through Flower Valley to the edge of Narsarsuaq Glacier ( you can actually walk on the surface of the glacier ).

Trout fishing is possible at Narsarsuaq, mainly in June and July, and both in the fjord and the river. Arctic trout is usually in the size of 40 to 45 cm, but can be significantly larger. Also cod and other kind of fish can be caught. A fishing license can be acquired at the reception at Hotel Narsarsuaq.

The most common animals in the vicinity of Narsarsuaq are mountain hare and arctic fox.

The raven is always present in Narsarsuaq, but also white-tailed eagle, Greenlandic falcon, peregrine falcon, mountain grouse and different kind of wading birds and passerine birds can be found in the area.

Narsarsuaq also has a variety of insects. Mosquitoes and midges are present mainly in June and July and can cause itching and minor infections. Different kinds of protection against these insects are available.

A special phenomenon at Narsarsuaq is known as ”The Hole”. It is a lake 20 km northeast of the Airport near Narsarsuaq Glacier. Water flows from the glacier into the lake. When the water in the lake reaches a certain level, the lake emties itself through the channel below the glacier. When The Hole is empty, the process starts all over again.

This lake contains a significant amount of water, and in 1 to 2 days it flows out into Narsarsuaq River. In a matter of hours the water in the upper part of the river rises 3 to 5m, and Flower Valley is completely flooded for several days. As the water withdraws, trout are trapped in small ponds, and in the following days ravens, eagles and foxes are busy fishing in the valley.

This occurs with an interval of aprx 2 years and has a great impact on the wildlife in Flower Valley.

Average weather statistics for Narsarsuaq for period 1961 to 1990: