Ilulissat, Greenland

Capital City

With a population of just 4,563, this remote Arctic outpost is more dog-sled than bustling metropolis. Tourism may now be the town's principal industry, but the brutal climate - March sees average lows of -37.8°C - means bureaucracy and infrastructure are persistent headaches. Still, the nearby Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, draws visitors eager to see the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. This is a place for hardy souls, not the faint of heart.