Qaanaaq

Qaanaaq, formerly known as Thule, in northern Greenland is one of the world's northernmost civilian settlements, topped only by Longyearbyen on Svalbard and a few military bases. Getting here will be a challenge, as permits may be required for use of the nearby Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Airbase), under U.S. control.

Understand
The alternative name for this settlement is Thule, a name still used by the nearby airbase. The word comes from the Latin "Ultima Thule", meaning the Far North Land.

Permission
A permission to enter or travel through Thule Air Base could as of April 2007 be obtained by sending an application to the foreign affairs department in Denmark. Details can be found (only in Danish) at the national ombudsman's homepage.

If you live outside Greenland or do not have Danish citizenship then you must provide the following information:


 * Name
 * Birthdate and birthplace
 * Permanent address
 * Purpose of the journey
 * Place of residence during your stay
 * Name of the travel agency through which the ticket will be/has been booked.

Applications can be sent or faxed to:
 * Udenrigsministeriet
 * Asiatisk Plads 2
 * 1448 København K
 * Denmark
 * Telefax: +45 33 92 01 70

By foot
The town's pretty small, and you should be able to get around it on foot.

Go next
The Northeast Greenland National Park is the obvious next destination.