Uummannaq is a town in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western Greenland. With 1,407 inhabitants in 2020, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country’s most northerly ferry terminal. Founded in 1763 as Omenak, the town is a hunting and fishing base, with a canning factory and a marble quarry. In 1932 the Universal Greenland-Filmexpedition with director Arnold Fanck released the film S.O.S. Eisberg near Uummannaq.
Uummannaq is located 590 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle on Uummannaq Island located in the south-central arm of the Uummannaq Fjord. Uummannaq is also the general name given to the series of inlets north of the promontory at Niaqornat on the Nuussuaq Peninsula. The island is also home to Uummannaq Mountain, rising very sharply to the height of 1170m. Climbing it requires technical skills.
Air Greenland operates helicopter services to Qaarsut Airport from Uummannaq Heliport. The neighbouring villages in the Uummannaq area are served by district cargo helicopters. In summer months, Royal Arctic Line operates its ‘bygdeservice’ with sailings by small ships to its neighbouring villages, including a service to Qaarsut.
Danish and Greenlandic children are told that Santa Claus lives in Spraglebugten Bay in the west of the island. A turf hut (Santa’s Castle) was built there for a Danish television programme and remains Santa’s home in the popular imagination.
[caption id="attachment_164830" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Formula 1 @ Carter Wong Design[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Formula One (officially the FIA Formula One World Championship) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing ...
