Hvalsey Church

The well-preserved ruins of Hvalsey Church, one of the first Christian churches on the North American continent, can be found in the agricultural region of South Greenland. Norse people from Scandinavia had established themselves in Greenland long before Columbus got the idea of sailing west to try to find a shorter path to India.

The fertile South Greenlandic fjords had drawn Norse settlers from Iceland, and the new country had many estates and farms. Christianity was spreading throughout Europe, and in 1000 AD, it reached the farthest reaches of the continent in Greenland. Soon after, the first churches were built.

Hvalsey Church, which was most likely erected in the 14th century, is the best surviving of Greenland's 14th-century churches and is one of the most beautiful historical sites in Greenland. Norse people from Scandinavia had established themselves in Greenland long before Columbus got the idea of sailing west to try to find a shorter path to India.