If you are looking for an unconventional Christmas gift, a shimmering green curtain of celestial light might be just the ticket. A trip to see the northern lights in Greenland is a unique experience which you are not likely to forget in a hurry.
The Northern Lights are one of the world’s most spectacular meteorological phenomena. They are steeped in legend and mythology. For example, it is said that when the Northern Lights dance around the sky, it means that the spirits are playing football with the skull of a walrus.
If you see the Northern Lights, you will understand the imagination and the ‘fear’ that has inspired these legends. This vast – and utterly silent – tapestry of celestial colour is tantamount to a supernatural experience!
The Northern Lights are one of the world’s most spectacular meteorological phenomena.
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We recommend you go to Kangerlussuaq (which is only a four and a half hour flight from Denmark) or Ilulissat in Disko Bay. Both towns are wonderful places to see the Northern Lights from November to March. Local tour agencies arrange trips out to see the Northern Lights.
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You will be going on a 20-30 minute hike from the old helipad to Holms Bakke. Your guide will tell you stories about the Northern Lights.
Hopefully, the Northern Lights will appear while you stand and gaze out over the Ice Fjord.
On the way, you will get to enjoy some coffee, tea or a so-called ‘Greenlandic coffee’. There will also be hot chocolate for the children.
On cloudless nights, Kangerlussuaq often has the most beautiful Northern Lights for you to experience.
You will be heading out into the wilderness where there is no artificial light and where nature will often put on a magnificent display.
You will then head back for a cosy gathering. Your guide will tell you about the Northern Lights and the many Greenlandic myths that the Northern Lights have inspired through the ages. You will also be served a tasty cup of ‘Greenlandic coffee’.
Did you know that “Aurora Borealis” is the magical sounding Latin name for the celestial phenomenon of the Northern Lights, and that it was the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) who first used the term which best translates as “The Northern dawn”?
If you go on a winter holiday in Greenland, you will very likely get to see the Northern Lights no matter where you are in the country.
This article is written in corporation with Greenland Travel and Air Greenland.
