Leif Eriksson

Leif Eriksson made amazing discoveries and was the first European to reach North America - nearly 500 years before Columbus.

In Brattahlid, which today is known by the Greenlandic name of Qassiarsuk, a bronze statue of Leif Eriksson has been erected as a memorial to his fantastic discoveries in the year 1000 AD.

The statue has been erected at the site in Southern Greenland from where the legendary son of Erik the Red set course towards the uncharted west from his childhood home.

ALL ABOUT GREENLAND’S VIKINGS

What was life like when Leif Eriksson and Freydís Eiríksdóttir lived in South Greenland?

Find out here

FIRST EUROPEANS IN NORTH AMERICA

The voyage made Leif Eriksson – whose byname was ‘the Fortunate’ – the first ever European to set foot on the North American continent.

The areas that Leif Eriksson discovered and explored where christened by him Helluland, Markland and finally Vinland. The areas are thought to be Baffin Island, Labrador and Newfoundland respectively.

Kujataa World Heritage

Download App (iOS only)

Package Tours

Topas Travel

Spring and the Midnight Sun in Greenland

Walk on the vast inland ice, spot muskoxen and reindeer in Kangerlussuaq. Sail among giant icebergs, explore the UNESCO Ilulissat Icefjord, admire the Midnight Sun, and savor local delicacies at scenic restaurants.

FROM €2,141

Topas Travel

Autumn and Northern Lights in Greenland

Discover Greenland’s magic: witness the Northern Lights, enjoy a scenic flight from Nuuk to Ilulissat, and stay at Hotel Icefiord. Explore a UNESCO site by land or sea and savor fine dining in Ilulissat.

FROM €2,009

Tasermiut Expeditions

South Greenland Explorer

Tasermiut fjord Big Walls called "the Arctic Patagonia", hot springs, glacier camp, navigation among icebergs. 15 day trip from June to Sep.

FROM €2,995

Greenland Travel

All in one: The grand tour of Greenland

15-day trip with incredible contrasts. Nature, villages and towns. Hiking, green mountains, turquoise icebergs, flower valleys, and ice-cold glaciers.

From €7,110

VIKING SETTLERS IN CANADA

It is indeed in north-western Newfoundland in Canada, more specifically at L’Anse-aux-Meadows, that the oldest known European settlement in the New World has been discovered.

More than 2400 Viking objects have been excavated from the area conclusive proof that the Viking settlers discovered North America long before Columbus.

THE STATUE OF LEIF ERIKSSON

The statue of Leif the Fortunate was erected in the year 2000 in conjunction with the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the heroic voyage.

It is a copy of similar statues originally erected in Seattle on the American west coast and subsequently in Trondheim in the north of Norway. The museum in Narsaq houses an exciting permanent exhibition of the early Viking settlers and their way of life.

By Visit Greenland

Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island

https://visitgreenland.com