ON the edge of the Earth lies a village frozen in time – quite literally.
Itterajivit, is the hauntingly deserted Arctic outpost that’s been abandoned for nearly 20 years.
Once a lively settlement in eastern Greenland’s Scoresby Sound, Itterajivit has become a desolate ghost town, quietly deteriorating in one of the world’s most isolated locations.
This village, known in Danish as Kap Hope, was first settled in 1925 as one of three small communities near Ittoqqortoormiit.
By the 1960s, its population had peaked at around 112 people, complete with a school‑chapel, workshop, youth club, and recreational spaces.
But life on the edge proved tough.
Isolation, limited job prospects, and government policies favouring larger hubs meant families gradually drifted away.
By 2005, just nine residents remained – and then, none.
A scattering of wooden houses still stands – some sagging, snow-filled, and forgotten.
Others are clung to by local Inuit hunters, used as seasonal shelters when braving the region’s punishing conditions.
A traveler on BirdForum notes: “Out of the roughly two dozen homes, only a few are upkept. The remainder are falling apart, with a shattered window quickly allowing snow to fill the interior.”
Most visitors arrive the hard way – either by dog sled or boat – depending on the whims of Greenland’s brutal weather.
In winter, sea ice cuts off access altogether.
And getting to nearby Ittoqqortoormiit requires flying to Reykjavik, chartering a plane to Constable Point, then boarding a helicopter or boat.
So why go?
Because what remains of Itterajivit is nothing short of breathtaking.
Backed by jagged black hills and overlooking frozen shorelines, the village’s stark beauty is pure Arctic drama.
Polar bears, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, and seals roam the surrounding wilderness – a wildlife haven untouched by time.
The village was featured in the Canadian travel show Departures and appeared in the BBC series Expedition with Steve Backshall, where the adventurer and his crew kayaked through the world’s largest fjord, passing the eerie remnants of Itterajivit.
Greenland, officially the world’s largest island that isn’t a continent, is home to just 56,000 people – and this spot is one of its loneliest.
Though it is governed by its own local parliament, Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark and is situated so far north that it experiences both the Polar Night and Midnight Sun, with endless winter darkness and 24-hour summer daylight.
For those craving extreme isolation, ghost-town intrigue, and jaw-dropping scenery, Itterajivit delivers.
