Uummannaq

Uummannaq sits on a small island 600 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle beneath a twin-peaked heart-shaped mountain that gives the town its name, and it is among the most photogenic settlements in Greenland: red, blue and yellow houses on bare rock above water that fills with icebergs calved from the fjord's glaciers. Winter freezes the sea solid enough for dog sledding across it to neighbouring settlements, and the town remains one of the strongholds of Greenlandic sled dog culture. In summer the sun does not set for months, and boats run to abandoned villages and glacier fronts through a maze of ice.

What you actually see

• The heart-shaped mountain - the twin peak rising directly above town.
• Dog sledding on sea ice - the spring season across the frozen fjord.
• Iceberg boat trips - summer routes among calved ice and glacier fronts.
• Midnight sun - continuous daylight through the summer months.

When to go

Late winter and spring, roughly March to May, bring stable sea ice, dog sledding and increasing light - the classic season. Summer from June to August gives boats, hiking and the midnight sun. The freeze and thaw shoulder periods make travel awkward and are best avoided.

Honest expectations

Getting here involves a flight plus a boat or helicopter transfer, all weather-dependent, and delays of a day or more are routine - build slack into any onward flights. Accommodation is limited to a hotel and guesthouses. Sea ice conditions have become less predictable in recent years, and dog sledding seasons have shortened. Sled dogs here are working animals kept chained outdoors, which some visitors find hard; they are not pets and should not be approached.

Nearby

Qaarsut, the abandoned settlement of Qilakitsoq and the glacier fronts of the fjord.