Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Spotlight on Greenland
Where the locals go Hotel Seamen’s Home, Nuuk (Nuuk Sømandshjem), is a hotel nestled by the sea, with a view of the mountains in Greenland’s capital. It was originally set up as a safe haven for seamen, who otherwise had to endure tough conditions on board their ships. Today, it is both a hotel for visitors and a place where the whole community can enjoy a meal, a good chat or simply relax.
aim to be as open as possible. We’re on hand to answer questions about what to see and do in Nuuk and throughout any travels in the rest of Greenland, but we’re also always happy to sit down with a cup of coffee and have a chat,” Majholm says.
By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Sømandshjemmet Nuuk
In the 1950s, the Danish Seaman’s Mission was invited to create a seamen’s home in Greenland, as they had done in harbours throughout Denmark. In 1969, the Seamen’s Home opened in Nuuk, and others in Sisimut and Aasiaat opened soon after. Today, the need for a ‘home’ for seamen is not so great, thanks to greatly improved working conditions, so the Seamen’s Home is instead open to the rest of the community, particularly to the homeless and the vulnerable. “The hotel is a not-for-profit hotel. Everything we earn from people staying here goes straight back into the commu68 | Issue 115 | August 2018
nity,” explains Allan F. B. Majholm, who runs the hotel, together with his wife. There are 43 rooms, in three different price categories, to suit most budgets, and what makes the hotel stand out is how visitors immediately feel at home when they step through the door.
He adds: “Every Thursday, we host a breakfast for some of the city’s homeless. It’s a space where they can get a good meal and have a good natter. Most weekday mornings we have locals coming in to have some breakfast, so there’s always a good atmosphere and the feeling of being a part of the local community.”
A home for everyone
Café Tamanut
Every morning, there is a smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the kitchen. As you come down the stairs, some of the locals are already telling some of the infamous stories about Nuuk, and there is a friendliness that will make everyone feel at home in no time. “We always
The hotel’s café is where many of the social gatherings happen. Open every day from 5.30am until 9pm, it serves good food in a price range which means everyone can enjoy it. “Nuuk can be an expensive place to visit and we especially find that people travelling for business simply