The 13 best viewpoints in Sisimiut

As the second largest city in Greenland, Sisimiut has a lot of options to experience all year round. You can either have a relaxing time or an active time in this urban hub – dependent on what you feel like doing!

The fact that approximately 30% of snowmobiles in the whole Greenland are registered in Sisimiut (Greenland in Figures 2020) shows just how active the people of Sisimiut are, especially in the winter time. The city is surrounded by mountains and hills and also has a big back country. Sisimiut is an ideal destination especially for nature lovers.

You should however get ready to be surrounded by mosquitos in the summertime. According to the locals, these insects first showed their wings in high summer, hence their nickname “August mosquitoes”. However, in recent years you can hear the buzz of this mosquito already in July. In Sisimiut, it is very common for locals to wear a mosquito net on the street while walking around and waiting for a bus.

1. Taseralik Cultural House

Let’s start from Taseralik.

If you checked Sisimiut out on the map, you might already know that there is a lake in the middle of the city centre. That is the location of Taseralik Cultural House, a place where you can enjoy art exhibitions, movies and various events. Taseralik is located by the lake, so during the summer you can meet cute baby ducks following their parents roaming around their favourite hangout.

Taseralik Cultural Centre. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

2. From the Red Church

Now you are standing in front of the red church where you can zoom in on the museum area. You can see the port and the mountain, Palasip Qaqqaa (551m) where you can go for a family friendly hike.

Sisimiut Museum. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

3. On the bridge towards Ulkebugten

If you are on the way to the fisherman statue located at the end of the bridge towards the airport, take a short break in the middle of the bridge. I know this might be scary for those who have a fear of heights because you can see the water that is flowing under the bridge where you stand. But please take a look on your right side. It will not take so long to find the mountain Nasaasaaq. Somehow it reminds me of the Swiss Alps or the logo of Paramount Pictures. You might wonder if you can hike Nasaasaaq – the answer is yes! Please see here.

During the summer time, when the weather is nice, the sea water colour is a mixture of green and blue and a lot of boats will pass by under the bridge. You will be able to see the dynamic life of Sisimiut.

On the bridge towards Ulkebugten. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

4. The fisherman’s statue

After viewing the nice view from the middle of the bridge, cross the road to reach the statue of a fisherman. If you arrived in Sisimiut by plane, you would definitely pass by this fisherman statue on the way to the city center from the airport. Don’t worry if you didn’t, because now you can see this sculpture of a Greenlander catching a human sized halibut! There is a wooden table by the statue and locals love holding a picnic here with kids. Try and take a photo here, and a kid might want to jump into the frame. If you are lucky, you might see a huge red Royal Arctic Line vessel arriving at the port.

The fisherman's statue. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

5. Sandy beach

If the weather is nice and warm, you might want to pack some big towels and snacks to picnic on this sandy beach. A popular destination for its view, it is only 3 km away from the Sisimiut centre. You might come to Greenland expecting to see some massive icebergs but here you might feel that you are somewhere else in Mediterranean Sea. You will feel the calm nature while bathing in full sunlight. Greenland has so many rocky shores however here you can enjoy the sandy beach.

Sandy Beach in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

Continues further down the page…

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6. From the side of town

If you reached this area, please find an Inussuk, piled small stones on a huge rock which were used as path markers in the past. Now you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Sisimiut city!

Now let’s go back to the city centre!

From the side of town in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

7. 360 view in the middle of the city

This place might only be known to locals living very close to this area. If you love walking around every corner of Sisimiut but do not want to hike up mountains, this viewpoint gives a great overview of the city. When you stand on this huge rock, you can enjoy these 360 degree views just in the middle of the city.

360 view in the middle of the city 1 in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

360 view in the middle of the city 2 in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

8. Nasiffik (The place to spot whales)

This area is called Nasiffik which means ‘the place where you can spot whales’ in Greenlandic. There is a small wooden observatory with a telescope where you can have a beautiful view of the mountains and small rocky islands towards the Arctic Circle. If you are lucky, you might spot why this place is called Nasiffik!

Besides the observatory, there are houses painted in unusual colours at Nasiffik. Greenland is famous for colourful blue, red and yellow wooden houses. At Nasiffik, you can actually see pink and purple houses! In fact, they are very similar to the colour of Greenland’s national flower, the dwarf fireweed.

Nasiffik in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

9. Billion year old rocks by the sea

This rocky west coast is a hidden gem in Sisimiut, even by local standards – and now this spot is for you! Here, you can look out over the David Strait. The David Strait was named after John Davis, who explored to seek a Northwest Passage. This strait is known as the world’s broadest strait. In addition, you might be interested to see some shiny salmon coloured rocks around this area which were formed approximately 1.9 billion years ago. The salmon coloured minerals are K-feldspar crystals and the white ones are quartz. This might lead you to a little bit of geotourism.

Reference of the minerals: Simon Thaarup (GEUS Nuuk)

The area where billion year old rocks are in Sisimiut. Photo by Kim Insuk

Billion year old rocks by the sea. Photo by Kim Insuk

10. Colourful houses

If you googled ‘Greenland’, you might have seen lots of images that reminded you of interlocking giant plastic Lego bricks. These giant bricks in red, yellow, blue and green are in fact those colourful wooden houses that pepper the landscape of inhabited Greenland. Behind the houses, you will find beautiful transparent blue and green sea water with the Tele Island and Palasip Qaqqa far back.

Colourful Houses View in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

Colourful Houses View 2 in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

11. Stand above the clouds at mountain Nasaasaaq

Do you remember the mountain you spotted when on the bridge? As you can imagine, the view from Nasaasaaq (784m) is definitely something! This might be a challenging hiking course for those who are not used to being so active. But if you succeed, you might have a chance to stand above the clouds! On your way up to the summit if it is nearing dusk, you can see the most beautiful light cast over by the midnight sun. Not to mention that you can capture the whole city of Sisimiut! Read more about hiking Nasaasaaq.

Stand above the clouds at mountain Nasaasaaq. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

12. Football field

Are you a football lover? If so, you might want to check out how local soccer in Greenland looks like. A game that has been treasured for thousands of years, Sisimiut is one of the towns in Greenland that can proudly boast its football field. Here is a good spot to watch a local game in action! Read more about Football in Greenland

Football field in Sisimiut. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen - Visit Greenland

13. By the airport

Now you have visited 12 viewpoints in Sisimiut so far, but there is one more viewpoint that is worth checking by the airport. If you’re flying from Sisimiut, please arrive at the airport early and after checking in, take a walk to the nearby hill. You will be able to see planes landing – perhaps even the one you take off with shortly!

Besides these 13 viewpoints, there are more viewpoints in Sisimiut to check out!

Please find them on the map here.