Icebergs are called 'Ilulissat' in Greenlandic, and it comes as no surprise to anyone who has been here that this is the town's name. Ilulissat is beautifully situated at the mouth of the 40-kilometre ice fjord filled with enormous icebergs produced by the most productive glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. The largest icebergs strand at the mouth - at depths of 250 to 300 meters - and do not break free until the next spring tide, or until they are so eroded that the balance shifts. 4,000 people live in Ilulissat and at least 2,500 sled dogs. This is an eloquent statement of the importance of the dogsled as a means of transport, even in a large modern town. The harbor is filled with fishing vessels and trawlers that bear witness to the great importance of fishing to the town. Only a couple of kilometers from the town is the lush Sermermiut valley that extends down to the ice fjord. In 1727, this was the site of Greenland's largest settlement of 250 people. Excavations have since shown that the beautiful valley had been inhabited for thousands of years. North of Ilulissat lays the settlement of Oqaatsut where some of the old houses from the colonial period are today fitted up as a youth hostel and restaurant. After sailing north for another couple of hours, tourists arrive at the impressive Eqi glacier, where it is possible to spend the night in modern cabins.