Nuuk

People have lived around what is now Nuuk for thousands of years. Arctic hunters of the Saqqaq and Dorset cultures passed through the fjords, followed around the 13th century by the Thule people, whose dog sleds, skin boats and harpoons are the ancestors of the modern Greenlandic way of life. The Norse also came: from about 985, farmers from Iceland settled in the south, and a second group, the Western Settlement, lived in the fjords near today's Nuuk until it was abandoned in the 14th century.

The modern town begins with Hans Egede, a Dano-Norwegian priest who sailed to Greenland in 1721 hoping to find the descendants of the Norse and to convert the Inuit. He landed on Håbets Ø, Hope Island, near the mouth of the Nuuk fjord, and in 1728 moved to the mainland site he named Godthåb, 'Good Hope'. The colonial harbour, with its timber buildings, grew from that mission and trading post. It is the oldest part of the town and the place where the cathedral and the national museum now stand.

For two centuries Godthåb was a small colonial outpost: a church, a few trading houses and a scatter of Greenlandic homes. After the Second World War, Denmark modernised Greenland fast. In 1953 it became an equal part of the Danish realm, and the 1950s and 1960s saw new blocks of flats, schools and a harbour, along with the concentration of many families into towns. Not all of it was welcome, and it is still discussed in Greenland today.

The name changed in 1979, when Greenland gained home rule and Godthåb officially became Nuuk, which means 'headland' in Greenlandic. Egede's statue on the hill above the harbour has become a focus for that conversation. Some see a founder, others a symbol of colonial power, and the statue has been the target of protest in recent years (check the current position). It is worth reading the museum's account before you form a view. A five-minute stop at the statue and a walk down through the harbour houses give a useful sense of the past.

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but governs most of its own affairs. Under the 2009 Self-Government Act, the Greenlandic government and parliament, Inatsisartut, both in Nuuk, control most domestic matters, from fisheries and education to health and natural resources, while Denmark keeps foreign affairs, defence and some other areas. The act also recognises the people of Greenland as a people under international law, with the right to decide on independence through a referendum.

That right shapes public debate. Greenland left the European Community in 1985 after a referendum, keeping an association as an overseas territory. Independence is a live topic, tied to the economy: fishing provides most exports, and Denmark's annual block grant pays for a large share of public spending. Discussion of minerals, tourism and new airports goes hand in hand with a question about how much dependence on Denmark can be reduced.

Kalaallisut, the Greenlandic language, is the official language and the everyday language of most people. Danish is used in administration and by many older Greenlanders, and English is common in hotels, museums and among younger people. Learning two words, Aluu for hello and Qujanaq for thank you, is appreciated more than most visitors expect. Signs and street names are in Greenlandic, and long compound words may look daunting: use landmarks and hotel names with drivers.

For a visitor the practical result is a mix of Nordic services and Arctic distance. Public institutions work in a Scandinavian way, prices are high, and everything from food to fuel is shipped in. Greenland is outside the Schengen area and the EU, so entry rules differ from Denmark's: check your passport requirements. The national day on 21 June brings flags, traditional dress and kaffemik gatherings in homes across the town. Nuuk is also the base of the ministries, the main hospital, the university, Ilisimatusarfik, and the head offices of the national airline and telecom company, so almost every national story passes through the town.

The sea is the source of Greenland's income and much of its food. Fishing, mainly for Greenland halibut and cold-water shrimp, accounts for the great majority of exports, and fish plants are among the largest private employers. Hunting for seal, whale and reindeer continues, both for subsistence and as part of cultural life. Quotas for whales are set under international rules, and the meat is sold in local markets.

At Brættet, the market on the harbour front, you can see this in action. Hunters and fishers sell what they have caught: cod, char, halibut, shrimp, seal, whale, reindeer and musk ox. Mattak, raw whale skin with a layer of blubber, is a traditional snack with a chewy texture. Suaasat is a traditional soup made with seal, whale or reindeer, onion and rice or potato. Restaurants serve musk ox, reindeer, halibut and Arctic char in Nordic style, and supermarket shelves show how much is imported.

Kaffemik is the local custom that best reflects the food culture. It is a gathering in a home with coffee, cake and small bites, held for birthdays, confirmations, national day and other celebrations. Guests come and go, and everybody is offered coffee and a slice of cake, with the table full and the door open. If you are invited to one, accept, take your shoes off at the door and bring a small gift.

Visitors often ask about the ethics of seal and whale. The best approach is to listen and to avoid a lecture. Hunting is regulated, meat is used, and the practice is tied to identity and to the difficulty of importing food. Some products, such as ivory or certain skins, cannot be exported to many countries, so ask for the paperwork before you buy a souvenir. If you decide not to eat mattak or seal, that is fine. Nobody minds a polite refusal.

Nuuk sits at about 64 degrees north, just south of the Arctic Circle. That means long summer days, with bright light until late evening from May to August, and short winter days of about four hours of light at midwinter. It does not have the true midnight sun of towns further north, but the light on a June night is enough to read by. The harbour is normally free of ice all year because of the West Greenland current, although the fjord and the coast can freeze in a cold spring.

The northern lights are the best-known winter attraction. Nuuk lies under the aurora oval, and on clear, dark nights from about September to March the sky can turn green and white. The trick is to go away from town lights and to wait for a cloudless night. Tours run when the forecast looks good, and some operators offer a second night if the first is cloudy.

Weather is the main planning risk. Fog, wind and low cloud can delay or cancel flights and boats, and the airport, although upgraded, still depends on visibility. The sensible rule is to keep a spare day before any international flight, and to book boat trips early in a stay so that you have time to reschedule. Dress in layers: a windproof and waterproof shell, a warm mid-layer, a hat and gloves, even in July, when highs are around 10 to 12 °C.

Ice and cold also shape daily life. In winter, hills and gravel become icy, and taxis become the sensible way to reach the colonial harbour. In summer, small biting midges appear near water and are a nuisance for walkers. Tap water is safe and the air is very clean. Take the cold seriously, stay out of the wind when you feel numb, and stay back from the edge of the water and from drifting ice.

Nuuk punches above its size in culture. The Katuaq cultural centre, opened in 1997, is the town's meeting place, with a foyer, a café, a cinema and halls for concerts and exhibitions. Its facade of wooden slats is meant to suggest the northern lights, and the name is usually translated as 'drum'. The centre hosts everything from choirs and rock bands to film screenings, and it is the best evening plan in town.

The Greenland National Museum and Archives holds the country's best collection. It covers about 4,500 years of Arctic history, from the Saqqaq and Dorset cultures to the Thule Inuit, the Norse and the colonial period, and it is home to the Qilakitsoq mummies, found by hunters in 1972 and dated to about 1475. The cold, dry air preserved the bodies and their clothes, and they give a rare, direct look at daily life in the 15th century.

Art and music are part of this. Greenlandic artists work in bone, stone, textiles and beadwork, and you can find a modern echo in the Mother of the Sea sculpture at the colonial harbour, which shows Sedna, the sea spirit of Inuit belief, who controls the animals and must be honoured. Music ranges from choral hymns to rock and rap in Kalaallisut, and events at Katuaq are the easiest way to hear it.

Nuuk is also a working town: a university, a parliament, a hospital, a mall, apartment blocks and offices. Outside the centre, districts like Nuussuaq have shops, a shore path and views of the fjord. A visitor's best approach is to move slowly: a museum in the morning, a warm lunch at Katuaq, a shore walk in the evening light, and a night at a concert or film. Keep a spare day for the weather, and enjoy the quiet.