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SvalbardThe Svalbard archipelago is located high up in the Arctic frosty wonderland. Its settlements of Longyearbyen and Barentsberg are the northernmost permanently inhabited spots on the planet. Located between the 76° and 81° parallels, they are far more northerly than any part of Alaska and all but a few of Canada's Arctic islands. Svalbard is a very popular place to experience a true remote Arctic wilderness experience due to its unspoilt beauty and relative ease of getting there, with daily flights most of the year from Oslo via Tromso.
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Svalbard Map
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Most people come here to witness and experience the raw untouched Arctic nature which there is definitely no shortage of! Whales, Polar Bears, Reindeer, Glaciers, craggy mountains, frozen waterfalls, its all here and more!
Lonyyearbyen town center
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Mesmerizing sunset in Advent Valley
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GETTING HERE The best way (and Cheapest) is to get yourself to Oslo and catch a flight via Tromso to Longyearbyen. SAS flights operate daily most of the year, and as you fly over Svalbard approaching Longyearbyen the views are absolutely sensational.
Eat and Sleep
There is lots of accommodation in Longyearbyen. Ranging from hostels to hotels, there's even a Radisson! As for eating there are lots of restaurants, bars and cafes in the town. And if you are being cheap and cheerful there is a well stocked supermarket and a kitchen waiting in your hostel!
There is lots of accommodation in Longyearbyen. Ranging from hostels to hotels, there's even a Radisson! As for eating there are lots of restaurants, bars and cafes in the town. And if you are being cheap and cheerful there is a well stocked supermarket and a kitchen waiting in your hostel!
Polar Bears
The first thing you may notice when arriving in Svalbard, apart from your eye lids freezing closed, is every second person is carrying a rifle. Due to the large amount of Polar Bears inhabiting the island, estimated between 3000-5000 it is a legal requirement to have a licensed rifle with you when travelling outside settlements. All organized tours and trips will carry rifles and flares etc for protection. Rifles can be rented here, providing you hold a valid gun license, but probably best to leave it to the professionals!
Polar Bears are a highly protected animal in Svalbard, and shooting one is, and must be the last resort action. Any incident involving harm to a Polar bear must be reported to the Governor to be investigated by the police.
As the animals and their lifestyle are highly protected there are no 'Polar Bear Safaris' or anything like that. You might be lucky to see one if you take a cruise around the far reaches of the island, or an extended snow mobile trip to the far east.
The first thing you may notice when arriving in Svalbard, apart from your eye lids freezing closed, is every second person is carrying a rifle. Due to the large amount of Polar Bears inhabiting the island, estimated between 3000-5000 it is a legal requirement to have a licensed rifle with you when travelling outside settlements. All organized tours and trips will carry rifles and flares etc for protection. Rifles can be rented here, providing you hold a valid gun license, but probably best to leave it to the professionals!
Polar Bears are a highly protected animal in Svalbard, and shooting one is, and must be the last resort action. Any incident involving harm to a Polar bear must be reported to the Governor to be investigated by the police.
As the animals and their lifestyle are highly protected there are no 'Polar Bear Safaris' or anything like that. You might be lucky to see one if you take a cruise around the far reaches of the island, or an extended snow mobile trip to the far east.
DO STUFF
Take an awe inspiring snowmobile trip! The company booked with was Spitsbergen Travel and they were great. You'l get all the gear needed to keep you toasty and they'll feed you well too! You can choose from a bunch of different trips from half day, full day or a full blown bum bashing multi day snowmobile safari. You don't need to be experienced in driving a snow mobile to take the controls, as long as you have a recognised drivers license and pay attention to a little lesson you are free to zip away over the snow and ice. If you cant drive you can hop on the back of another snowmobile and away you go. A must, is a trip out to mighty Tuna Glacier..
Take an awe inspiring snowmobile trip! The company booked with was Spitsbergen Travel and they were great. You'l get all the gear needed to keep you toasty and they'll feed you well too! You can choose from a bunch of different trips from half day, full day or a full blown bum bashing multi day snowmobile safari. You don't need to be experienced in driving a snow mobile to take the controls, as long as you have a recognised drivers license and pay attention to a little lesson you are free to zip away over the snow and ice. If you cant drive you can hop on the back of another snowmobile and away you go. A must, is a trip out to mighty Tuna Glacier..
From mid-February until mid-May is the best time to take this trip, (as snowmobiles cant swim during summer) you will cross snow filled valleys and zip over the frozen sea getting up close and frosty to some truly impressive Arctic scenery, keep your eyes peeled for Polar bears!!
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Tuna Glacier
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Glacial blue ice, Tuna Glacier
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Cross the frozen sea and get up close to this frozen giant
Nooderlicht
During the months of Feb-May, Frozen in the Tempelfjorden ice,, about 60 km north east of Longyearbyen you will find the 120 foot bright red Dutch Schooner hibernating, frozen solid into the thick sea ice. The Nooderlicht is open to passing adventurers from the middle of February until the middle of May, depending on the ice conditions. Reached by snow mobile or dog sled the ship offers food and warmth to day trippers and 10 well equipped cabins with a total of 20 beds for overnighters!
During the months of Feb-May, Frozen in the Tempelfjorden ice,, about 60 km north east of Longyearbyen you will find the 120 foot bright red Dutch Schooner hibernating, frozen solid into the thick sea ice. The Nooderlicht is open to passing adventurers from the middle of February until the middle of May, depending on the ice conditions. Reached by snow mobile or dog sled the ship offers food and warmth to day trippers and 10 well equipped cabins with a total of 20 beds for overnighters!
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Built over a hundred years ago, the boat was originally used as a lightship in shallow waters around the Baltic. But when a lighthouse was built in the 60s the ship enjoyed retirement for a number of decades before finding its calling in the Spitsbergen Ice. Each year the ship will melt free of the ice, sail around Spitsbergen or beyond before returning to Templefjorden before the sea freezes solid once again. The ship has a chef on board, a large comfortable lounge filed woth history and pictures of the boat. The Nooderlicht offers a place like no other to appreciate the dramatic stillness, the remoteness, and untouched landscape of the Arctic. Not to mention the possibility to see the King of the Arctic...!
Ice Cave
From the big Longyear glacier right outside town, you will descend through a little hole in the snowy surface into a sparkling ice wonderland and journey through fascinating ice formations, huge icicles and curving tunnels.
From the big Longyear glacier right outside town, you will descend through a little hole in the snowy surface into a sparkling ice wonderland and journey through fascinating ice formations, huge icicles and curving tunnels.
We took the Snowcat and ploughed and bounced our way up the hills behind Longyearbyen, bursting through piles of snow, eventually arriving at a small marked hole. The cave has been formed by flowing water during the summer months which have carved out a stunning path way through the glacier. Be prepared to squeeze through tight spaces and wear some good grippy footwear, ice can be slippy!
Dog Sled
Whats coming to a snowy winter wonderland without going dog sledding!
Whats coming to a snowy winter wonderland without going dog sledding!
Besides the howling, barking and large amount of dog farts, when the pack gets busy, they quieten down, and a thunderous silence enraptures your journey. There are lots of trips available, from half day to multi day trips, you can take a dog sled out to the Nooderlicht ship or even to the Ice Cave above. There is no better way to travel and appreciate the Arctic stillness than being dragged along by a bunch of dogs'
Longyearbyen
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24Hr sundial beside the town
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Longyearbyen is the world's northernmost town, and the northernmost settlement of any kind with greater than 1,000 permanent residents.
It owes it origin to our need for fossil fuels, back in 1906 coal mining operations began and this little town sprouted up. The Germans had a go at destroying it during world war 2 but Longyearbyen survived and rebuilt. Longyearbyen still today mines for coal but most of the mining operations have moved elsewhere. Until 1987, a series of aerial tramways were used to haul coal from the mines to the port many of the cable towers still line the valley today. There are a hand full of sights to see in the town itself, Theres the Svalbard Museum, /Svalbard Science Centre where you will find out all about the islands history, settlement, mining and the flora and fauna of the archipelago, there's also an Airship museum and an art gallery and being the worlds most northerly town, you can visit the worlds most northerly Church!
It owes it origin to our need for fossil fuels, back in 1906 coal mining operations began and this little town sprouted up. The Germans had a go at destroying it during world war 2 but Longyearbyen survived and rebuilt. Longyearbyen still today mines for coal but most of the mining operations have moved elsewhere. Until 1987, a series of aerial tramways were used to haul coal from the mines to the port many of the cable towers still line the valley today. There are a hand full of sights to see in the town itself, Theres the Svalbard Museum, /Svalbard Science Centre where you will find out all about the islands history, settlement, mining and the flora and fauna of the archipelago, there's also an Airship museum and an art gallery and being the worlds most northerly town, you can visit the worlds most northerly Church!
Entrance to Global Seed Vault
Another interesting Longyeabyen fact is The Global Seed Vault. The seed vault is a conservation attempt to insure against the loss of seeds in other gene banks around the world in case of large-scale regional or global crises. There is now over 20 million seeds and food crop seeds hibernating in the frozen mountainside in Longyearbyen. The seeds are stored at a cool -18 and live an isolated life. This big seed safety deposit box is of limits to visitors, so you can only check out the entrance. But its nice to know if your favourite potato goes bye bye, Svalbard is here to help
Free Stuff to do...
