A startling vista of frozen lakes is just a short drive away from the harsh and unforgiving landscape that greets visitors upon landing in this Arctic region in summer. The lakes are rimmed by hills where woolly musk oxen can be seen grazing. Sixteen miles into the distance is a mighty ice cap. Welcome to Kangerlussuaq, the gateway to Greenland. American soldiers turned this former hunting outpost into an air base during World War II and used it until 1992, when they handed it over to Greenland. This year Greenlanders are inviting Americans back with new direct flights on Air Greenland to Kangerlussuaq from Baltimore. The world’s largest island is no longer just a remote cruise destination.

An autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland has about 57,000 inhabitants, most of them Inuit, and only about 550 of whom live in Kangerlussuaq. The town may not be worth spending a night in, but it is a good starting point for a hike over peaceful hills. Greenland’s ice cap, the second largest in the world, is a short drive away and thrill seekers can go spelunking inside dangerous ice tunnels with a local guide, Kim Petersen, and his Arctic Caving Adventures (for complete information, contact kimmp@greennet. gl).

From Kangerlussuaq there are two obvious destinations: Sisimiut and Ilulissat. Sisimiut is just north of the Arctic Circle and is the southernmost town in Greenland where dog sledding is possible. In fact, some visitors choose to arrive via a three-day dog sled ride from Kangerlussuaq, with overnight accommodations in spartan hunting huts. The main attractions in Sisimiut are the fjords — among the deepest in Greenland; a museum that features a portal built of enormous whale jawbones, and a blue church dating back to 1775.

The bustling iceberg capital of the world, Ilulissat, is a 45-minute plane trip from Kangerlussuaq. A boat trip to the fjord from there and out into Disko Bay is a must. Icebergs from the most productive glacier in the Northern Hemisphere, Sermeq Kujalleq, crowd the mouth of the fjord, waiting to melt just enough to float over the sediment that bars their escape. It takes a year for an iceberg to navigate the length of the fjord and then almost another year to hop over the exit. During summer, imposing icebergs of all shapes and sizes lose big chunks every couple of minutes, crashing spectacularly into the ocean. Locals never fail to point out that the iceberg that sank the Titanic probably hailed from here.

Ilulissat is home to 4,000 people and 7,000 hardworking sled dogs — and it is the starting point for expeditions that cross the entire Greenland ice cap in 16 days by sled. The ice cap can be viewed from many towns in Greenland, but the glacier here is worth shelling out some cash to charter a helicopter that will fly over deadly crevasses.

Hotels are not inexpensive in Ilulissat, but at the Hotel Hvide Falk top floor rooms facing the bay offer a priceless view of the midnight sun hanging over the flotilla of floating icebergs.

An eight-hour ferry ride (20-minutes by air) will take you to the quaint town of Aasiaat, south of Ilulissat. The fishing community of 3,000 overlooks an archipelago of 1,000 islands and icebergs. Rugged but elegant, these islands are home to Arctic foxes, hares, various birds, and wild flowers. Between June and September, narwhals, minke, fin, and humpback whales swim here.

Hunting huts on several uninhabited islands provide shelter for the increasing number of adventure travelers getting a taste of sea kayaking in the waters of Aasiaat. The months of July and August bring the best weather for paddling, but global warming has significantly extended the tourism season, so visitors now begin arriving in mid-May.

Those who prefer to sleep in beds stay at the Seamen’s Home, where friendly managers, Lene Leed and Harald la Cour, feed guests Danish specialties such as roast pork with potatoes and beets. The hotel’s cafeteria is a popular lunch spot for weathered, chain-smoking fishermen who play a dizzyingly fast style of chess.

Travelers with children might enjoy a stop at Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, which boasts the world’s largest mailbox. It’s as big as a house and belongs to a portly, bearded gentleman. Letters from children from all over the world addressed simply to “Santa Claus, North Pole, Greenland” make their way here each year. Other noteworthy attractions include the National Museum of Greenland, with its remarkably preserved mummies from the archaeological site, Qilakitsoq, and the Nuuk Cathedral, which overlooks the harbor. Those with carnivorous palates can sample musk oxen at Gertrud Rask Spisehus, located at the top of Nuuk’s Hotel Hans Egede, which prides itself on its innovative Arctic gastronomy.

If You Visit

For more information, go to greenland-travel.com. Tour operators offer seven-day and shorter local cruises that sail past mammoth icebergs on ships ranging from luxurious to research-style. Adventure options include helicopter rides onto the pack ice and walking safaris across other Arctic landscapes. An eight-day/seven-night expedition, Explorer Tour: Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, and Ilulissat, includes roundtrip airfare from Baltimore on Air Greenland, air travel in Greenland, hotel accommodation, guiding services, and some meals, and is priced from $4,000 a person, based on double occupancy.