Aasiaat was founded in 1759 by Hans Egede’s son, Niels Egede, to prevent European – especially Dutch – whalers from bartering with Greenland’s inhabitants. The town is located on an island at the outermost edge of a very beautiful archipelago area. “the land of a thousand islands”. Several islands in the area are protected, and there are fantastic opportunities for activities like watching the unique bird life and for observing the whales that were originally the reason of founding the town. The area surrounding Aasiaat offers many hikes, but the most magnificent experiences are found at sea – the archipelago is perfect for kayaking and other boating.