Leg 166 BGKK - Kulusuk (Greenland - Denmark) to BIIS - Isafjordur (Iceland)
BGKK - Airport Info
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ICAO code: BGKK
Airport name: Kulusuk Airport
Location: Kulusuk
Useful information
Airport elevation: '
Time zone: UTC-
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: '
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Kulusuk Info
Kulusuk - East Greenland’s international airport,situated on Kulusuk Island, is but a small airport with a gravel landing strip. At the same time this is one of Greenland's most busy airports with 3 - 5 daily arrivals and departures 6 days a week from Iceland, Reykjavik Domestic Airport, and West Greenland. Transport between Kulusuk and Tasiilaq is carried out by helicopter. The airport was built when establishing the American DYE-radar stations and replaced the Ikateq airfield located further in the Ammassalik fiord.
Kulusuk - The Island.
The island is relatively small so hiking from the airport to the village won't take more than 40 minutes. The walk takes you across the Arctic tundra carpeted in Arctic flowers and glacier buttercups, or you can hike straight up the hill to an eerie mountain lake before descending to the town. Don't miss the beautiful, haunting cemetery, which is festooned with plastic flowers and set against a stark and icy Arctic landscape.
In former times Kulusuk Island was the most inhabited area in Ammassalik district, due to the good fishing and hunting ground around the island. In 1930, 165 people inhabited Kulusuk, compared to Tasiilaq’s 112. Today 302 lives in Kulusuk making the settlement the 2nd largest in Ammassalik after Kuummiut.
Kulusuk - The Settlement.
When you’re coming to East Greenland, one of the first settlements you’ll have a chance to visit is Kulusuk. As the other settlements in Ammassalik, Kulusuk remains relatively immune to Western influence despite the regular influx of tourists, partly because the villagers follow a more traditional way of life and partly because visitors tend to only stay short-term.
Kulusuk is the perfect introduction to the settlements of the Ammassalik area. The tiny village clings to the rocky island above a glittering sea of icebergs with dramatic mountain peaks as a backdrop.
Fishing and service industries are becoming more important, but hunting seal, whale and polar bears is still an important source of income for the many families.
Service industries are becoming encreasingly more important, but traditional hunting and fishing is still an important source of income for many of the families.
Souvenirs.
In Kulusuk one will find some of the district's most gifted craftsmen and their Tupilaks are of very high quality. In the Hotel and The Kulusuk Trading Post, these souvenirs are offered for sale.
BIIS - Airport Info
ICAO code: BIIS
Airport name: Isafjordur Airport
Location: Isafjordur
Useful information
Airport elevation: '
Time zone: UTC-
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: '
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Isafjordur Info
The capital of the Westfjords is Isafjordur. The fjord has two valleys, Tungudalur and Engidalur, and is surrounded by high and steep mountains. The two valleys are the main outdoor activity areas of Isafjordur. In Tungudalur there is a large golf course, ski slopes, campsites and hiking routes around the forestry area. Isafjordur town has a long history and has for a long time been one of the largest fishing industry centres in Iceland. Neðstikaupstaður, a part of Isafjordur town, consists of the oldest buildings in Iceland including four buildings from the 18th century.
In the second half of the 16th century, foreign merchants put up a trading post on the sandbank in Skutulsfjördur, which grew into the main trading centre of the West Fjords. In 1786, a couple of years before the Danish monopoly on trading were abolished, Isafjordur was given municipal status as one of six official trading centres in Iceland. The best-preserved cluster of 18th century houses in Iceland is to be found in the Neðstikaupstaður in Isafjordur. These are the buildings of Danish monopoly merchants, warehouses as well as residential houses. The maritime division of the West Fjords Folk Museum is located in one of them, the so-called Turnhús.
Skutulsfjordur fjord is a narrow fjord, surrounded by high, steep mountains. Inside the sandbank an excellent natural harbour is to be found. The mountain ridge is serrated by four valleys; Arnardalur valley cuts into the eastern corner of the mouth of the fjord, while the valleys Engidalur, Dagverdardalur and Tungudalur lie to the south of the fjord.
Hnifsdalur is a small fishing village further out along the coast, at the head of a shallow inlet, wedged between sheer dark basalt mountains. The cliffs surrounding the village provide shelter, but have also been the source of disastrous avalanches in the past. The drive is along the steep slopes of Oshlið valley. This scenic road, at the foot of the mountain range that fronts on the Djúp inlet, affords fine views along the Djúp and to the coastal ranges crowding the opposite shore and the snowy ridges of facing Snæfjallaströnd. Along the route, you come to the town of Bolungarvík.
Cultural life has flourished in Isafjordur through the ages and still does. The regional library was founded in 1889 and Iceland's first music school was established here in 1911. A secondary grammar school was opened in 1970 and now has a branch in nearby Patreksfjördur. There is also a newly founded art school in Ísafjördur, bearing the name of Iceland's first architect, Rögnvaldur Ólafsson, not to mention the art gallery Slunkaríki, one of the smallest yet most noteworthy galleries in the country, mounting exhibitions all year round. The West Fjords Folk Museum has a remarkable collection of traditional tools and relics.
Industry in Ísafjördur has always been at the forefront of Iceland's enterprises. The Ásgeirsverslun trading company, which also controlled fishing ships and fish processing, was in its heyday, the biggest and most powerful business enterprise in the country. Ísafjördur was a pioneer in canning and shrimp fishing in Iceland. The fisheries industry in Isafjordur is still second to none, but demands change with the times. Thus, one of the leading companies of high technology electronics for the fisheries industry is now to be found in Ísafjordur.
Tourism is a growing industry too, and in this area of service, Ísafjördur boasts all that a town its size can be expected to offer: Ísafjordur has superb facilities for outdoor activities, offering many interesting routes for the hiker. The sheltered Tungudalur valley is the town’s main area for outdoor activities, accommodating a golf area and campgrounds, and optimal conditions for enjoying the beauty of Iceland. Not far away, there are ski slopes for beginners and advanced alike, equipped with state-of-the-art lifts and facilities. The area also lends itself particularly well to cross-country skiing. Ísafjördur is a good starting point for those who want to experience the magnificent natural beauty of the West Fjords. Tourist agencies offer a variety of sightseeing excursions around Ísafjördur and surrounding areas, to Hornstrandir and to other parts of the region, giving the tourist a choice between travelling on land, on sea, or by air.