Ilulissat – Icefjord, Hiking Trails and Culture

If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Ilulissat, you can plan around the experiences that matter to you. Nature trails, a church and museum district, and venues dedicated to art and cultural history offer different points of focus. The places and routes below provide concrete starting points for putting together visits in Ilulissat and the surrounding area.

The Icefjord and the surrounding landscape

The Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO-listed natural site associated with Ilulissat; the town itself is not within the World Heritage Site. In the wider region, the Icefjord is the mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few glaciers through which the Greenland Ice Sheet reaches the sea. A tidal fjord, it contains floating brash ice and large masses of ice; Sermeq Kujalleq calves into the sea there. The glacier and fjord are part of this larger natural landscape, while the churches and museums are specific cultural sites in Ilulissat.

Trails and views at the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre

The Ilulissat Icefjord Centre is designed as a natural extension of the hiking trails through the UNESCO World Heritage area. From the Centre, a wooden boardwalk passes the old settlement of Sermermiut and ends at the Icefjord near Kællingekløften; the blue hiking trail begins there. The yellow and red hiking trails are accessible from the Centre car park. Together with the blue trail, they offer longer and more challenging hikes than the boardwalk. This gives you a choice between the boardwalk and longer, more challenging trails when planning your outings.

From the roof of the Centre, visitors can see the Kangia Icefjord in spring, summer and autumn. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are art installations, a shop and a café serving coffee and light snacks. The current operation of individual facilities may vary; if necessary, check the latest conditions before your visit.

Churches, art and cultural history

Ilulissat’s church and museum district lies by the fjord, south of the hospital. The extensive valley, dotted with houses, is home to Zion Church and the Ilulissat City Museum. The museum was originally the vicarage and the childhood home of Knud Rasmussen. Zion Church, the Ilulissat Museum and the chapel are listed as cultural heritage under Greenlandic Parliament Act No. 11 of 19 May 2010.

Zion’s Church stands by the water and offers views of large icebergs in Disko Bay. It is generally not open except for services. If you’re planning to visit the interior, check the current visiting options in advance.

The Ilulissat Art Museum is housed in a building designed by Helge B. Møller in 1923 as the home of the colonial administrator of the time; since 1995, it has served as an art museum. Each year, the museum presents up to six international temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, which engage in dialogue with the collection. It also offers a creative workshop for young people from the region and a library on Greenlandic art. A ticket to the Art Museum also entitles you to visit the Ilulissat Cultural History Museum. As this ticket arrangement may change, confirm the current conditions in advance.

At the Ilulissat Cultural History Museum, the kayak exhibition draws on more than 100 Greenlandic words for the design and use of the kayak and its equipment; there is also a room with traditional toys. The area around the museum serves as an open-air museum, featuring traditional Greenlandic modes of transport and a traditional turf house. Specialist tours on hunting traditions, fur clothing or life in a turf house can be booked; confirm current availability with the museum. The museum shop sells products made by local artisans from stone, beads, sealskin and bone; the selection may change. If you’re interested in contemporary art, the Art Museum is the place to focus on; the Cultural History Museum is more devoted to traditional objects and ways of life.

Getting around Ilulissat

In Ilulissat, you can get around by bicycle or car, taxi or bus. During peak hours, the bus passes each stop about every 20 minutes; at other times, roughly every 30 to 40 minutes. Frequencies and transport options may change; check current local information before relying on the bus schedule.

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