Tasiilaq is located on Ammassalik Island just south of the Arctic Circle, and boasts long hours of daylight in the summer, and the splendour of the northern lights in the winter. Around 1924 inhabitants make the town the largest in East Greenland. Yes, you have reached the outskirts of civilisation.
Small colourful wooden houses are scattered on the mountainsides, beautifully situated by an almost circular fjord and surrounded by high mountains. Tasiilaq is rightfully considered as one of the most beautiful towns in Greenland. A small river flowing through the Valley of Flowers behind the town divides the town in two. From June to August this valley is the perfect place to have a close look at the unique arctic flora. A mixed community. In 1894 a Danish mission and trade station was established where Tasiilaq is situated today. Take a stroll in the town and you’ll be able to find nearly all the houses built in the first decade of Tasiilaq’s history. However, don’t expect to find an antiquated community. Tasiilaq is a modern community with many of the modern amenities found elsewhere in the world. At the same time traditional Inuit culture is present in many layers of the society, making an interesting co-existence of new and old culture.
You’ll find no factories in Tasiilaq, but service industries are becoming increasingly more important, however traditional hunting and fishing is still very much part of daily life for the families in Tasiilaq.
Tourism has become increasingly important over the past 20 years, and today Ammassalik is one of the most visited destinations in Greenland.
