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Greenland

Brattahlid (Qassiarsuk), Greenland

Brattahlid: Erik the Red's Farm and Possibly the First Church in the Americas

Brattahlíð, now the village of Qassiarsuk, is where Erik the Red made his home after he was exiled from Iceland, and the ruins of his farm are still visible. Today it is a quiet sheep-farming community in South Greenland, part of a World Heritage landscape of Norse and Inuit farms. Bring Danish kroner in cash and warm layers, because the village is small and the wind in Greenland is almost always cool.

Good to know

What Cruise Travelers Should Know About Brattahlid

Qassiarsuk is a village of a few dozen people on the site of Erik the Red's estate, about 96 km from the open sea at the head of the Tunulliarfik Fjord. Your ship will explain how passengers are brought ashore.

  • Narsarsuaq, with South Greenland's international airport, is about 5 km away across the fjord, and all regular travel to the village is by boat.
  • The village has a general store, a café, a hostel and a small church, and life here is based on sheep farming.
  • The Norse ruins and the reconstructed church and longhouse are within walking distance in the village.

Brattahlid on Your Own

Everything in Qassiarsuk is within walking distance, so you can set your own pace. The ruins of the Norse farm, the reconstructions and a statue of Leif Erikson are all in the village.

  • The Norse site: The outlines of the farm's living quarters, outbuildings and church can still be traced, and replicas of Þjóðhild's church and a Norse longhouse stand nearby.
  • Leif Erikson: The village has a statue of Erik the Red's son.
  • Information: During the summer season a guide staffs a Kujataa World Heritage information point in Itti Frederiksen's house. Out of season, ask your questions at Cafe Thorhildur.
  • Photos: Ask before photographing people, and accept a "no."
  • Getting back on time: Your ship posts the exact all-aboard time, usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and it will not wait for passengers who wander off on their own.

Getting Around Brattahlid

Qassiarsuk has no public transport, and people get around on foot. Gravel roads link it to the sheep farms around it, and boats are the only way across the fjord.

  • On foot: The ruins, the reconstructions, the café and the store are all in the village.
  • Farm roads: More than 80 km of dirt and gravel roads connect the farms of the area, built mainly for sheep farming. They get very dusty in summer.
  • Longer walks: The farm at Tasiusaq, on a bay full of icebergs, is about two hours each way on foot along a dirt road, so it only fits a long stay.
  • Across the fjord: Narsarsuaq is reached by boat. A long gravel road runs around toward it, but there is no bridge over the glacial Narsarsuaq river.

Food at Brattahlid and Qassiarsuk

Food in Qassiarsuk is simple and limited: a café and a small general store. If you go ashore for a long visit, bring a snack and water from the ship.

  • Cafe Thorhildur: The village café is also where visitors go for information and souvenirs.
  • The store: The village has one small Pilersuisoq store stocking basic household goods.
  • Sheep farming: Sheep farming has been the village's livelihood since it was founded in 1924, unlike most Greenland settlements, which live from fishing.

Tipping in Greenland

Prices in Greenland already include tips and service, so no extra tip is expected. If a restaurant or guide gives you service you are happy with, a gratuity is appreciated, and the amount is up to you.

  • Restaurants and cafés: Pay the price shown; anything extra is your choice.
  • Guides: A tip for a good guide is welcome but optional.
  • Currency: Greenland uses the Danish krone (DKK). Some souvenir shops accept foreign currency, but only banknotes.

Reconstructions, Ruins, and the Living Farm

Qassiarsuk is two stories at once: the Norse farm of Erik the Red and a modern Greenlandic sheep-farming village. Together they are why the area is part of Kujataa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for Norse and Inuit farming at the edge of the ice cap.

  • Reconstructions: A replica of Þjóðhild's church and a Norse longhouse were built for the year 2000, the millennium of Leif Erikson's voyage to Vinland, away from the original sites.
  • A sheep-farming village: The present village was founded in 1924 by Otto and Tiipaaraq Frederiksen, the first people in Greenland to live solely from sheep farming.
  • The Norse assembly: Brattahlíð is one of two places scholars have identified as a site of the Greenlandic Þing, an assembly modeled on Iceland's Althing.
  • Visiting homes: If you are invited into someone's home, take off your shoes at the door.
  • Photography: Most people are happy to be photographed, but always ask first, and photograph animals without approaching or disturbing them.

Erik the Red, Leif Eriksson, and the Norse Greenlandic Experiment

The Norse settlement of Greenland began here. Erik the Red, exiled from Iceland, explored the coast and founded the Eastern Settlement, with his own farm at Brattahlíð, and his family lived here until about the mid-15th century.

  • Around 982: Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for three years, spent them exploring Greenland, and went on to found the first successful European settlement on the island.
  • Late 10th century: Erik built his estate, Brattahlíð, "the steep slope," at the head of the fjord the Norse called Eiriksfjord.
  • Conversion: Erik's wife, Þjóðhild, became a Christian, though Erik stayed with the old Norse religion. Her small church of wood and turf was likely the first church in the Americas.
  • Vinland: Their son Leif Erikson, who grew up at Brattahlíð, sailed to Vinland, usually taken to be coastal North America. The millennium of his voyage was marked here in 2000.
  • 13th century: A stone church was built near the main longhouse, on top of an even older stone church. At its peak, the Eastern Settlement had a bishop and 200 to 300 farms.
  • 1408: The last written record of the Eastern Settlement describes a wedding at Hvalsey, and by the late 15th century the Norse settlements had disappeared.
  • 1924: Otto and Tiipaaraq Frederiksen founded the present village, the first in Greenland to live solely from sheep farming.
  • 1961: Workers building a school uncovered a human skull, which led archaeologists to Þjóðhild's church and a churchyard with the remains of 144 people.
  • 2017: Qassiarsuk became part of the Kujataa World Heritage Site.
  • To learn more ashore: The Kujataa World Heritage information center, in Itti Frederiksen's house in the village, is open in summer with a guide on hand.

Brattahlid with Children

Qassiarsuk is a quiet place for children: a small village with ruins to walk around, reconstructed Norse buildings to look at and sheep on the hills. Everything is close together on foot.

  • Younger children: The village is small and quiet, with sheep grazing nearby, and the reconstructed longhouse and church give a short, concrete look at how the Norse lived.
  • School age: The ruins of Erik the Red's farm, the statue of Leif Erikson and the story of the Vikings who sailed from here to North America bring the sagas to life.
  • Teenagers: Horse riding is offered in the area, and there are self-guided day hikes from the village.
  • Weather: Even on days with blue skies the wind in Greenland is almost always cool, so bring layers for everyone.

Accessibility at Brattahlid

Qassiarsuk's roads are dirt and gravel, and the ruins lie on uneven ground. Getting ashore may involve a small boat, so check the arrangements with your ship.

  • Roads: The gravel roads are poorly drained and get very dusty in summer.
  • The ruins: Many of the old buildings now survive mostly as depressions in the ground.
  • Distances: The sights are all within the village.
  • Help: Qassiarsuk has a nurse station, and the nearest police are in Narsaq.

Shopping at Brattahlid

Shopping in Qassiarsuk comes down to the café and the village store. Prices are fixed, and you should not try to bargain.

  • Cafe Thorhildur: It sells a range of souvenirs.
  • The store: In small settlements like this, the store often doubles as post office and bank and may sell postcards and Greenlandic crafts.
  • Sealskin: Greenland sells products made from sealskin. The United States bans the import of marine mammal products under its Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the EU bans seal products except those from Inuit hunts, so check your home country's rules before buying.

Landscape and Wildlife at Brattahlid

Sitting far up the fjord, away from the fog and cold water of the outer coast, Brattahlíð's farmland is among the most fertile in Greenland. Around it are green hills, sheep pastures and, in nearby bays, icebergs.

  • Farmland: The plains around Qassiarsuk are wider and more fertile than those around Narsaq at the other end of the peninsula.
  • Icebergs: At Tasiusaq, a farm about two hours' walk from the village, a small bay is often crowded with icebergs.
  • The fjord: Cod and trout live in the fjords, and anglers need a fishing license.
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