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Snow, a rich maritime history, and end-of-the-world marriage rites are just some of the factors that have transformed Grytviken into a "Winter Wonderland."A principal settlement in the British territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic, Grytviken (Swedish for pot cove), was named by a Swedish surveyor in 1902 after try pots which were used to store seal oil were found in the site. The settlement and its surroundings have been declared an Area of Special Tourist Interest for its history as the world's first land-based whaling station founded by Norwegian sea captain Carl Anton Larsen. The mountain-sheltered Grytviken has flat surfaces, adequate fresh water supply, and the best harbor in the colony that enabled it to flourish both as a village and as a whale and seal hunting industry from 1904 to 1965.

During its heyday, the whaling industry helped shoot Norway into the constellation of ship building and navigation leaders, but to the detriment of whales whose number continues to shrink to "endangered" level. This led to the halt of Grytviken's whaling activities, although the settlement continues to be a popular stop for cruises bound for Antarctica. Tourists usually land there in summer to buy topical post stamps or to see the whale bones, rusting remains of the whale processing plants, and abandoned whaling ships littered in the shore. Some other artifacts are at the South Georgia Museum.

During their stop, some pregnant travelers meet their "due date" while still on board their ships, while some couples stay awhile to get married in Grytviken's small chapel, 10,000 miles away from their homelands.

Also close at hand are the abandoned meteorological station of the Argentine government, the wildlife research facility of the British Antarctic Survey, and the tomb of Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton. Those who stay longer to catch Patagonian toothfish, cod icefish or krill may also brush elbows with the HMS Endurance, a patrol ship of the British Navy.

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