Iceland ProCruises Catalogue 2020

28 P R I N C E C H R I S T I A N S O U N D Narsarsuaq Located near Greenland’s southern tip, Narsasuaq lies in the heart of the region pioneered by the ancient Norse. Nearby Qassiarsuk was founded by notorious Viking Erik the Red after his banishment from Iceland. He named the area “Green Land” because of its lush, fertile valleys. During our shore stop, you can learn about the lives of the island’s early Norse settlers while visiting a Viking longhouse and small peat church. Nuuk Greenland’s capital has around 16,000 inhabitants and combines Inuit traditions with modern European urbanity. It’s also Greenland’s oldest town, founded in 1728 by the Danish Norwegian missionary Hans Egede. The National Museum features 500-year-old mummies from Qilakitsoq, as well as other artifacts related to Greenland archaeology, history and art. The Katuaq Cultural Center in downtown Nuuk is the venue for concerts, exhibitions, cinema and local cuisine. The University of Greenland, the country’s only university, is also located in Nuuk. Sisimiut Sisimiut has a turbulent history about the domination of the city. Heavy fighting between Dutch whalers and various European nations took place over the years. Because of the flourishing shrimp industry Sisimiut is one of the richest cities in the country. GREENLAND Uummannaq Located 300 miles (500 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Uummannaq is one of the most beautiful towns in Greenland. The town takes its unusual name — Uummannaq means “heart shaped” in Greenlandic — from a massive mountain (3,839 feet/1,175 meters) that towers above the island. An interesting local museum features an exhibition of German clima- tologist and geophysicist Alfred Wegener’s 18th- century polar exploration.