Even before President-elect Trump favored Greenland, Greenland was already on the radar of the cruise industry, with many ships choosing the picturesque Greenlandic towns as ports of call.
Cruise ship passengers snap photos of Greenland fjords (Danutta Hamlin)
One of the ports is Qaqortok, the largest town in southern Greenland.
Qaqortok means "white" in Greenlandic. (Danutta Hamlin)
The ship set out from Iceland, following in the footsteps of Eric the Red, a Norwegian who settled in the area in 982 AD. After Eric was exiled from Iceland, he made his home here and called it Greenland.
About 80% of the island is covered by ice caps, and the rest does not look very green.
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Greenland's majestic coast (Danutta Hamlin)
According to some historians, Eric the Red only came up with the name for publicity purposes.
He set out to attract more Icelandic settlers and promote the island as a green space. Some experts say Greenland may have been warmer at the time, but starting in the 15th century it experienced what's known as the "Little Ice Age."
Children in Nanotalik, Greenland. (Danutta Hamlin)
Life in Greenland became too harsh for Europeans. But the island's indigenous people found ways to persevere.
The Julianehåb River flows through the center of Qaqortok, Greenland. (Danutta Hamlin)
Set amidst a scenic fjord system, with creeks cascading from the town and mountain peaks covered with snow even in spring, Qaqortok is a fascinating place to explore .
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Qaqortok is the fourth largest city in Greenland. (Danutta Hamlin)
Building highways in Greenland is expensive, so Qaqortok has no road connections to any other towns or villages. However, when the weather warms up, the area offers ample opportunities for natural hiking, kayaking, and fishing.
greenland ice sheet (Danutta Hamlin)
The town was founded as a trading colony in 1775 by Norwegian explorer Anders Olsen. With a population of just over 3,000, it offers a glimpse into Greenlandic life, Viking history and Nordic-style architecture.
The hills are dotted with colorful houses, which provide a pleasant contrast to the harsh peaks of the surrounding fjords.
Greenland road sign. Greenlandic is an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken by approximately 57,000 people. (Danutta Hamlin)
Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, but the official language is Greenlandic. It is a polysynthetic language, which means there is technically no limit to the length of Greenlandic words.
Interpreting local signs can be fun and challenging.
Stone & Man, an open-air art project featuring stone carvings and sculptures in Qaqortok, Greenland (Danutta Hamlin)
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While trees are not easy to find, the area is filled with a variety of rocks and boulders. Some of them were carved with carvings of human faces and whales in honor of "Stone and Man." This open-air gallery is the work of local Qaqortoq artist Aka Høegh.
Minde Brendon Fountain is the older of only two public fountains in Greenland. (Danutta Hamlin)
Qaqortok is home to the country’s oldest fountain, the Münde Brendon Memorial Fountain. The fountain was completed in 1932 and is closed during the winter.
A fish market in Qaqortok. Seal meat is a key ingredient in Greenland's national dish, Suaasat. (Danutta Hamlin)
The town's fish market sells all the fish caught by local fishermen that day. It could be fish, it could be whale meat, it could be seal.
After all, Qaqortok is a fishing town, and seafood plays a vital role in the Greenlandic diet.
Nanortalik is a village on the island of Nanortalik with approximately 1,072 inhabitants. (Danutta Hamlin)
Greenland's official religion is Evangelical Lutheranism. At another port of call, a village called Nanotalik, local church members welcomed visitors with a musical performance.
In 2018, the Nanotalik Choir sang outdoors in Greenland. (Danutta Hamlin)
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Nanortalik means "the place of polar bears". However, no bears were spotted roaming around the village.
The old colonial port area of Nanotalik is an open-air museum. (Danutta Hamlin)
Greenland is the world's largest island - a treat for any visitor with a sufficiently adventurous spirit.
Cruise along Greenland's fjords and enjoy the scenery. The cruise ship anchors in Greenland during a transatlantic voyage between North America and Europe. (Danutta Hamlin)