Tiny church
A wood-and-turf replica.
Algkalv (talk) — CC BY 3.0 · claire rowland from london, uk — CC BY 2.0 · PederM at Danish Wikipedia — CC BY-SA 2.5 · claire rowland from london, uk — CC BY 2.0 · claire rowland from london, uk — CC BY 2.0
Qassiarsuk is a small village in southern Greenland on the western shore of the Tunulliarfik Fjord, about 5 km in a straight line west of Narsarsuaq. It stands on the land of Brattahlíð, the farm where Erik the Red settled at the end of the 10th century after founding the first Norse colony in Greenland. The name Brattahlíð means «the steep slope», and the site lies about 96 km from the open sea at the head of the fjord, sheltered from ocean storms. Erik and his descendants lived here until around the mid-15th century, and it is now part of Kujataa, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. In 1961 the traces of a small wood-and-turf church linked to Erik's wife were found here, likely one of the first churches in the Americas. Replicas of this tiny church and of a Norse longhouse stand near the ruins, surrounded by green pastures and sheep farms looking over the fjord. Walking around is free. The village is a short boat ride across the fjord from Narsarsuaq, and June to September is the best time to visit.
A wood-and-turf replica.
In Norse style.
Pastures and sheep.
Qassiarsuk, Tunulliarfik Fjord, Greenland
By a short boat ride across the fjord from Narsarsuaq.
Norse ruins and replicas of a church and a longhouse.