Greenland - Useful information for your trip
Discover Greenland with Vivitravels. It is an unmissable destination rich in amazing and stunning places. It also boasts deep culture and traditions.
Greenland is an island belonging to the American continent; it is also the largest island in the world. Originally, it was a colony of Norway, but in 1953 it became part of the Danish Realm.
The territory of Greenland is almost entirely covered by ice, which can reach a thickness of 3,000 metres. The coasts are very jagged and characterized by a very dense maze of fjords and islets formed by glaciers' erosion during the years. Human settlements are mainly located on the islands, since they are not completely covered by ice. This is why Greenland does not present a real infrastructural net and railways don't exist. The most common means of transport are boats, ferries and airplanes, anyway the latter often cannot work due to the hostile meteorological conditions.
The weather is arctic in the north-central coasts, sub-arctic along the south-central coasts. Generally, the island is very windy, and the cold winds can be a problem for those who are not well equipped, on the other hand, rainfalls are not abundant but they are frequent. Finally, the sun does not often shine, it can be seen especially during spring and summer. During the long nights in winter it is possible to admire the picturesque aurora borealis.
In Greenland it is not very difficult to see breath-taking, stunning and amazing landscapes and views. Nature and its artistic glimpses make it a worthly destination, as well as its heterogeneous fauna, which includes reindeers, musk ox, wolfs, Arctic foxes, hares, seals and whales. This land also boasts important culture, tradition and customs as well as important archaeological sites dating back to the Viking epoch. Disko Bay and the close Ilulissat, a frozen fjord declared Unesco World Heritage Site, are for sure two unmissable spots.