Spitzbergen Archipelago

The Spitzbergen Archipelago is the northernmost tip of Europe and is a cluster of small islands in the Arctic Ocean. Predominantly, they are part of the Kingdom of Norway, with the exception of the island of Svenskøya, which belongs to Sweden. There is also a settlement called Barentsburg and two mothballed settlements called Grumant and Pyramid on the island of West Svalbard, which belong to Russia.

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Video: Svalbard

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Highlights

‘ Svalbard Island

History

‘ Prince Charles Land, in 1973 Forlandet National Park was created here.
‘ Walrus on vacation‘
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‘ Seagulls

Today, Svalbard is almost entirely a protected area, which has made it possible to largely restore the flora and fauna of the islands. That is why, by the way, one should be extremely careful when leaving populated areas – polar bear attacks are not uncommon.

‘ Longyear Church
‘ Doomsday Vault
‘ University of Svalbard

Tourists

The polar day lasts here from March to August. It is during this period you should go to Svalbard. It is very dangerous to wander around here during the polar night. Due to the harsh climatic conditions, tourists are not allowed to leave the settlements without proper equipment, insurance, a signal gun, as well as a radio or satellite phone.

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‘ Polar Lights on Svalbard
‘ Summer in Svalbard

All tourist movements are strictly controlled by Norwegian authorities. In addition, to leave a settlement you need a permit, but it is not difficult.

The hotel industry and tourist business in general is quite developed here. The only nuance is that everything is very expensive. So, for one night in a hotel travelers have to lay out up to 120 dollars. However, this does not stop tourists who want to feel all the charms of polar winter.

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‘ Reindeer in search of snow
‘ The city of Longyear is the capital of Svalbard

Travel to Svalbard is mainly organized by Norway and Russia. Most travelers, including Russian travelers, fly via Oslo to Longyear with a connection in Trumso. However, there are also direct routes, which are relevant in summer time. You can find them by studying the flight schedules of SAS and Norwegian.

Be prepared that in spring and fall you will have to drive a snowmobile to navigate the local roads. In the summer, paddleboat, motorboat and kayak skills will come in handy.

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