Paamiut

Paamiut is a fishing town of around 1,300 people on Greenland's southwest coast, facing the Labrador Sea. It began as the Danish trading post of Frederikshåb in 1742. Ships anchor in the bay and tender passengers ashore, and the main sights are a short walk from the landing. The red-painted wooden church, built in 1909 in a Norwegian style, is one of the most handsome in Greenland. The town museum occupies old colonial buildings, including a carpenter's workshop, and covers Inuit and trading-post history. There is no road out of town, so you see Paamiut on foot. Paths lead up the rocky hills behind the houses to views over the fjord and the scattered islands offshore. The area has Greenland's largest population of white-tailed eagles, and you may see one over the water. Local food is what the sea and land provide: cod, halibut, seal and musk ox. The Danish krone is the currency, but the town has few shops, so bring a card and a little cash.