Hafen
St. Anthony

Grenfell Interpretation Centre

St. Anthony, is the staging post for many northern expeditions during a time when Arctic explorers were racing to the North Pole. This excursion features a visit to the Grenfell Interpretation Centre, which chronicles the inspiring life of Sir Wilfred Grenfell, the young English doctor who visited St. Anthony in 1892 and founded the Grenfell Mission. Dr. Grenfell was renowned for bringing medicine and education to the Inuit and European settlers along the harsh Labrador Coast. His adventures were required reading in eastern Canada and taught valuable lessons to rural schoolchildren. His tales of courage and charitable efforts made him a friend of American presidents and governors, as well as European royalty.

You will also visit his home, where you can view the artifacts gathered from a life of Arctic adventure and global philanthropy.  If time allows, we will walk up the teahouse trail behind the Grenfell House.  The name Grenfell is still associated with Arctic-inspired fashions in the 21st century.  We end with a visit to the Benet Murals, also part of the Grenfell Properties.  These stunning ceramic murals were created by Montreal artist Jordi Benet in 1967 and relate to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site - UNESCO Site

Visit the remarkable ancient settlement founded by Vikings more than 1,000 years ago. Here, at L’Anse aux Meadows, Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, was the first European to set foot on American soil. The Viking originally called his discovery “Vinland,” which many believe translates from Old Norse into “land of meadows.” You will enjoy free time as you explore this finely restored village, gaining immeasurable insight into what life was like for the continent’s first Norse explorers. See the sod houses, constructed of soil packed over wooden frames, and see evidence of carpentry and ironsmith workshops. You will also learn about the 1960 discovery of the site by the adventurer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad.

Viking Village

Next we visit the recreated Viking village of Norstead to learn more about life in these northern reaches one millennium ago. See the replica of the Viking Knarr Snorri, a boat that sailed from Greenland to here and named for the first European child born in North America. Journey through this rough and ready site in the footsteps of fierce Viking warriors of the past before heading back to the ship.