Continue the story of exploration in the far north as you set out on a breathtaking adventure to the polar expanses on board the HANSEATIC nature. You are closing in on the first highlight of your expedition when heading for Ilulissat: even well-travelled visitors are left speechless by the imposing ice fjord. Experience gigantic ice formations in the famous Disko Bay: massive blocks of ice which have broken off the glacier drift in the sea – one of the most impressive spectacles in Greenland. A magical world of blue and white for you to discover on the HANSEATIC nature and in the Zodiacs, depending on the ice. Uummannaq will greet you with colourful houses and the striking backdrop of a heart-shaped mountain shimmering red.

Cape York, where you will board Zodiacs to explore the icy landscape, still has a memorial to the great American explorer Robert Edwin Peary. Greenland’s most northerly settlement, Siorapaluk, is a remote place on the strait of Smith Sound. The approximately 80 inhabitants earn their living from hunting and fishing. Further south, the colourful houses of the young settlement of Qaanaaq form a beautiful chessboard pattern. Named Old Thule before the Cold War, it was moved to make way for a military base and given a new name. Many pioneers set out from Old Thule for the North Pole in the golden age of exploration.

Pure pioneering spirit pervades the ship when it is immersed in the seldom-visited waters of Smith Sound. From here on in, the ice determines the course. Following the call of the north, the HANSEATIC nature cruises through the icy waters of the Nares Strait, where expedition history was made.

Pond Inlet on Baffin Island shows us how people adapted to the extreme conditions of the polar world. Awaiting you is a warm welcome from the inhabitants of this traditional settlement surrounded by snow-covered mountain ranges on Eclipse Sound.. It offers fascinating insights into Inuit culture and history. Robust Zodiacs are the only way to explore this region, including Devon Island, the world’s largest uninhabited island. Gleaming blue ice is reflected in the crystal-clear water, and with luck you will spot some mighty musk oxen and cute lemmings.. Throughout the cruise, the manoeuvrable expedition ship will follow in the wake of famous explorers who gave their names to many of the places along the way – such as Lancaster Sound, named after the British seafarer, and the Barrow Strait, named after the British sponsor of numerous Arctic expeditions. Today, the hardships of earlier explorers have given way to comfort and security on the HANSEATIC nature. But the sense of adventure remains – on Beechey lsland, for example, where the experts will tell you all about historical events surrounding the Northwest Passage. Around 170 years ago, in 1845, three members of the Franklin expedition were laid to rest here. The remaining team members disappeared without trace.

Back in Greenland, you will experience vibrant culture. In the old town of Sisimiut, historic houses cling to steep cliffs, while a museum and two churches reflect the city’s exciting history as a missionary station and trading post. Together with the experts, you can hike to Tele Island. Your exciting expedition days in the Arctic wonderland then end in Kangerlussuaq – but your memories of this time will stay with you forever.