Weird Cities – The Ittoqqortoormiit Guide

I have made it a bit of a thing of mine to review out of the way and/or crap/weird cities. Well, it does not get much more off the grid than IttoqqortoormiitOn the east coast of Greenland, very few live here and even fewer visit. Here’s the guide to everything you need to know about Ittoqqortoormiit.

How to get to Ittoqqortoormiit

I came by ship on tour with Young Pioneer Tours, but the weather was bad and we had to transfer by zodiac, which in itself did not prove all that easy. But we made it after all!

Other than that there’s a helipad. 

Accommodation in Ittoqqortoormiit

There is one guesthouse in Ittoqqortoormiit, I saw it, I photographed it! But, it was not open, which was to prove a bit of a theme for our trip here.

What to see in Ittoqqortoormiit

There’s one tourist shop/travel agency that sells stuff made from endangered species. The locals obviously quite like killing polar bears too, and you will see many dead polar bears hanging outside people’s houses.

There’s a graveyard at the top of the hill, there’s a church that was closed on a Sunday, an art museum (also closed). Even when there is a cruise ship docked, people aren’t that bothered about making money.

What to eat in Ittoqqortoormiit

There’s literally one restaurant in town called Ivalos Grill. I assume it was a restaurant, anyway; as you might have guessed, it was closed. 

In the tourist shop, a guy was handing out free musk-ox meat, although the shop in question didn’t actually sell any of the meat.

We found a local supermarket-type thing that was open, but the card reader didn’t work and they would not accept euro.

The nightlife of Ittoqqortoormiit

Apparently, Greenlanders drink like absolute fish, but I did not see much evidence of this! I guess it is all about the house parties in Ittoqqortoormiit!

Is it worth visiting Ittoqqortoormiit

I found visiting here one of the best travel experiences of my life, a little bit grim, but so fascinating to see people from one of the most isolated communities on earth just getting on with life.

Getting out of Ittoqqortoormiit

Exit by ship before the place gets frozen in for the winter. Alternatively, get on the chopper!

And that is the Street Food Guy’s guide to Ittoqqortoormiit!

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