Your very personal Arctic adventure gets off to an impressive start with Skjoldungen Sound. Greenland’s rarely visited south-east coast will captivate you with its remoteness, enormous mountains and an almost endless fjord world.

Prince Christian Sound glistens in beautiful turquoise: the many open deck areas, the deck tour at the bow and the glass balconies provide front-row seats to this backdrop of waterfalls and glaciers.

On a Zodiac ride with a hike to the mighty Evigedsfjord, your gaze will be drawn above you: between imposing, towering cliffs, the expanse, silence and extraordinarily clear air come together to create intensive experiences. As a guest in the Greenlandic village of Aasiaat, you will gain initial impressions of how past generations settled in this remote corner of the world and what life is like here today. With a little luck, you might then see whales in the surrounding waters.

The fascination of the Arctic is almost impossible to convey through travel reports or films. It needs to be experienced first-hand – and the HANSEATIC inspiration makes this possible. Cruising through Baffin Bay will evoke the memory of its namesake William Baffin, who searched in vain for the legendary Northwest Passage.

William Baffin is also immortalised by Baffin Island, where typical rituals provide insights into Inuit traditions. In the coming days, you will continue to get up close to the unspoilt Arctic wilderness: in the Zodiacs, on deck and on hikes with our experts. Follow in the footsteps of past explorers on Beechey Island. A walk to the graves of members of the Franklin expedition will bring its historic significance to the fore. The conditions will decide whether your adventure continues with a cruise in Peel Sound – the ice sets the pace as the HANSEATIC inspiration charts a course to the Bellot Strait and manoeuvres around Somerset Island. Very few ships are capable of navigating this part of the legendary Northwest Passage, which requires first-class equipment and an experienced crew. Unforgettable natural experiences are possible throughout the habitat of whales, seals and polar bears. The world’s largest uninhabited island, Devon Island, welcomes you with its vast wilderness. An abandoned station of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reinforces the impression of silent remoteness. Keep watch again for musk oxen and Arctic hares.

It is a privilege to explore places that are beyond the reach of most people. In Qaanaaq, pick up the trail of the polar explorer Knud Rasmussen, who started numerous expeditions in the region. Ice permitting, your route will continue into Smith Sound between Greenland and Canada. How far can the ship go here? Barely any other ships sail the waters of north-west Greenland. Are you excited by the idea of going to the North Pole? In the 20th century, you would have reached the geomagnetic pole in Etah. Today, it lies further west. However, this deserted place in the vast landscape will still draw your pioneering spirit like a magnet. Knud Rasmussen and Robert Edwin Peary had base camps here. Perhaps you might spot whales and seals as your route continues to Siorapaluk. Greenland’s most northerly settlement lies directly on the fjord, surrounded by mighty sandstone mountains in shades of light red and purple.

A breathtaking natural spectacle will draw everyone’s attention in Disko Bay: while cruising and riding in the Zodiacs, watch the mighty ice formations that drift through the bay. To conclude your cruise, Sisimiut presents the history of polar settlements in its picturesque old town, which resembles a museum village. Your experts will provide fascinating historical details on a hike before you board the ship again with lots of new discoveries.