Julianehåbsbugten

Julianehåbsbugten is a Scenic Lookout in Greenland

Julianehåbsbugten is a broad coastal bay in southern Greenland, in the Kommune Kujalleq region. Its name comes from Julianehåb, the old Danish name for the nearby town of Qaqortoq. Skerries, islands and stray icebergs dot the water, and the colourful houses of Qaqortoq scatter along the shore beneath low rounded hills. Small boats criss-cross the bay, linking the settlements of the south. In summer the slopes turn green, earning this milder corner of Greenland its reputation as the island’s garden. The bay is also a noted wintering ground for seabirds, its comparatively mild, ice-free waters drawing eiders, gulls and others through the darkest months. Those same dark months bring the aurora. At around 60°N the bay sits well south of Greenland’s classic aurora regions, yet the long nights and the lack of urban glow away from Qaqortoq still deliver frequent displays, the greens hanging low and mirrored among the islands and drifting ice.