Getting to svalbard travel advice from swoop arctic. At visit svalbard we got you covered with information of every accomodation svalbard can offer. Svalbard sometimes referred to as spitzbergen, the largest of the islands in the svalbard archipelago, sits well inside the arctic circle, just south of 80 degrees north. Based in italy with her husband, tim, they have a passion for travel and love discovering the world.
The coastline was an endless series of black, jagged peaks, dusted with snow. Svalbard cruise polar bear watching aurora expeditions. Sail in the hinlopen strait between spitsbergen and nordaustlandet. A few of the most popular hotels near spitzbergen adventures are radisson blu polar hotel, spitsbergen, longyearbyen, svalbard hotell polfareren, and svalbard hotell the vault.
The steep walls of the largest island of svalbard spitsbergen call for a completely different climbing approach. Longyearbyen, svalbard, svalbard and jan mayen monthly. Svalbard definition of svalbard by the free dictionary. Between 1942 and 1943 spitzbergen is occupied by germany. In 1920 norwegian sovereignity over what it calls svalbard is recognized and in 1925 norway officially annexes the islands. From the elegant simplicity of a japanese tea room to the neon cityscapes of tokyo. Combining a great variety of flora and fauna with stunning remote landscapes, a visit to spitsbergen is a must for wilderness and wildlife enthusiasts. Final conference, rome october 11, 2016 a subglacial lake at southspitzbergen, svalbard. Surprising then, that getting there is quite so straightforward, with regular flights from norway to longyearbyen throughout the season. You will visit svalbard museum and galleri svalbard, and take in the main sights of longyearbyen including office of the governor, svalbard church, nybyen new town, a few of the towns mines such as santa claus mine, and a quick photo stop at the famous beware of polar bear street sign. Across asia hightech cultures are evolving beside ancient ones. Longyearbyen, is the largest populated area, and capital of the norwegian region of svalbard. We will navigate over the mountains and glaciers, via kjellstromdalen and and reindalen. The tour is a walking tour around town with a very informative guide, taking about 2 hours.
Spitzbergen is discovered by norwegian fisherman in 1194 and rediscovered by the dutchman willem barentz in 1596. It is spring in spitsbergen, but still the temperature can vary from 10 to. Meaning jagged peaks in dutch, the island was named for the sharp pointed mountains that barents met in the northwest of spitsbergen. An 11day wildlife expedition to the high arctic, including a 10day voyage around the island of spitsbergen in search of breeding seabirds, polar bears, walrus and spectacular scenery.
Experience the magic of the aurora borealis at 78 degrees north. This remote location means svalbard retains the pristine natural wonders that the polar north is famed for. The vast majority of flights go via oslo, norway, around a 3hour flight. The 62,500squarekilometre svalbard archipelago is one of the most hostile places on earth. Dark and icegripped for eight months of the year, svalbard s landscape consists of jagged peaks supported by immense buttresses of rock that plunge into the ocean. The steep walls of the largest island of svalbard spitsbergen call for a completely different climbing approach from. Dark and icegripped for eight months of the year, svalbards landscape consists of jagged peaks supported by immense. Svalbard and its main island spitsbergen, land of the isbjorn, is a high latitude paradise for sailors and ski mountaineers.
Dark and icegripped for eight months of the year, svalbards landscape consists of jagged peaks supported by immense buttresses of rock that plunge into the ocean. Since there are no tourist hotels on spitzbergen visitors must. Svalbards only airport is at longyearbyen, the main visitor hub. For the amount of data, a fibre glass cable has been laid from longyearbyen to the mainland of norway, which can provide superfast internet connection maybe an opportunity for new economy in the lowtax area svalbard. The name spitsbergen, meaning pointed mountains from the dutch spits pointed, bergen mountains, was at first applied to both. Coal mining has historically been the dominant economic activity, and the spitzbergen treaty of 9 february 1920 gives the 45 countries that so far have ratified the treaty equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to norwegian regulation.
Its an abandoned russian mining town where about 12 people live. Daniela mansutti1, edoardo bucchignani2, piotr glowacki3 1istituto per le applicazioni del calcolo m. Boat services from bergen viatromsoand honningsvsg to spitzbergen longyearbyen and ny alesund. The arctic group of islands known as svalbard, or spitzbergen in english spitzbergen being the name of the largest island was nomans land but became norwegian in the early 1920s through the svalbard treaty. All three slovenian expeditions 2005, 2006, and 2007 led by slovenian filmmaker gregor kresal had to face major logistical difficulties. Pyramiden spitsbergen 2020 all you need to know before. Both norwegian and sas airlines offers flights to svalbard. At just shy of 80n spitsbergen is the land of the midnight sun in summer and of near total darkness for several months during winter. It was a truly wonderful experience that highlighted the beautiful sights, the amazing.
Jagged mountain peaks at alkehornet 77a24an 022a40ae spitsbergen. This is when the ice melts enough for ships to be able to navigate the still icy waters and explore all the wildlife there is to offer. By far the largest wilderness area of europe, svalbard has a land area of. Svalbard spitsbergen arctic cruise set departure trip report june 2019.
We took this tour only a few hours after arriving in longyearbyen and it was a great introduction to svalbard. Discover europes largest ice cap in nordaustlandet. Spitsbergen trips, spitsbergen tours, spitsbergen holidays. Svalbard is geographically closer to the north pole than to norway. Svalbard is a group of islands located between the arctic ocean, barents sea, greenland sea, and the norwegian sea. Join a boat trip to watch the arctic landscape and wildlife. Svalbard brewery longyearbyen 2020 all you need to. Welcome to svalbard, an island realm with icecovered fjords, glaciers, soaring mountains, and rare wildlife that includes polar bears.
Svalbard is an archipelago positioned in the arctic ocean to the north of mainland europe, about midway between norway and the north pole. Svalbard archipelago lies beyond the arctic circle, nearer to the north pole than it is to mainland scandinavia, making it one of the most remote places on earth. Some 836km north of the norwegian mainland and just 8km from the north pole twothirds of its surface is covered by glaciers, the soil frozen to a depth of up to 500m. You arrive in the worlds northernmost town, historic longyearbyen previously known as long year city, deep within the arctic circle, and we have time to explore this small city of about 2000 human inhabitants. Coal mining, tourism, and international research are svalbards major industries. Vest spitsbergen or vestspitsbergen, urban east norwegian. The norwegian meteorological institute has informed aeco that daily ice charts for svalbard will be available this season. This is probably the closest quality ski terrain to the north pole.
These fragments of norway, 400 miles north of the edge of europe, are. The area is sometimes referred to as spitsbergen, the main island with all the settlements. Sval storm clouds engulf the steep forested slopes and jagged mountain peaks of the andes. We spent 12 days together with 24 people on the wonderful sv noorderlicht, sailing the spitzbergen coast. Due to its position near the pole, spitsbergen is a good place for antennas to receive data from certain satellites. This wondrous archipelago is a land of dramatic snowdrowned peaks and glaciers, of vast ice fields and forbidding icebergs, an elemental place where the seemingly endless arctic night and the perpetual sunlight of. Sparsely populated spitsbergens name translates as jagged peaks, and the island is a true wilderness, home to polar bears and other arctic wildlife. The basement the largescale features of the svalbard geology are relatively simple. Latest summits done as part of a hike to an ice cave in larsbreen glacier. On the archipelagos island of spitsbergen there are two towns. Svalbard synonyms, svalbard pronunciation, svalbard translation, english dictionary definition of svalbard.
The archipelago is the northernmost part of the kingdom of norway. Air services from tromso to longyearbyen 23 times weekly in summer, once or twice weekly in winter. Situated north of mainland europe, it is about midway between continental norway and the north pole. Svalbard is the arctic north as you always dreamed it existed. A northern lights evening at camp barentz is go to. It is very important to be aware of the mandatory id control for all travelers. Spitsbergen, the largest island in the svalbard archipelago, a name which means cold shores. The steep walls of the largest island of svalbard spitsbergen call for a completely different climbing approach from that required in the alps. About 15 tourists nearly all of whom were norwegian were packed into a small old steamer that rumbled south down the coast of spitsbergen, the largest island in the svalbard archipelago. Spitsbergen 063020150717 spitzbergen svalbard expectations are naturally high when you spend 18 days travelling spitsbergen but what these 18 days. The meaning of the name spitsbergen in the dutch language is jagged peaks because of the sharp pointed mountains that barentsz met in the northwest of.
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the svalbard archipelago. Constituting the westernmost bulk of the archipelago, it borders the arctic ocean, the norwegian sea, and the. November 29th is polar night in svalbard, so pitch. Get the monthly weather forecast for longyearbyen, svalbard, svalbard and jan mayen, including daily highlow, historical averages, to help you plan ahead. Remote, mysterious and extreme, the norwegian island of spitsbergen is the. The new year happy new year to all visitors of this website, by the way.
Pyramiden was the final stop of our boat trip with henningsens travel. About the author jennifer dombrowski is a training specialist and social media strategist in the field of higher education. Essentially, the best time to visit svalbard to see polar bears is the summer, between may and september. It is spring in spitsbergen, but still the temperature can vary from 10.
Flights to svalbard land at longyearbyens airport, which has direct connections. Daily ice charts for svalbard available this season aeco. Due to svalbard being outside the schengen area, identity control is performed for all guests travelling to and from svalbard. It was bestowed on this island by the dutch explorer willem barents, who discovered it while searching for a.
A prime location for aurora hunts and other northern light experiences. The charts are produced daily, including on saturdays and sundays, from june through september 2017. The ice charts are available for download from polarview. Svalbard map and map of svalbard spitsbergen size history. Meaning jagged peaks, the name spitsbergen was given to the archipelagos largest island by dutch explorer willem barents, who discovered it while searching for the northern sea route in 1596. Cruise unexplored svalbard from longyearbyen, spitsbergen to. Whilst the other islands of svalbard are nature reserves and therefore inaccessible without gaining special permission, spitsbergen, which broadly includes its group of surrounding islands barentsoya, edgeoya, nordaustlandet and prins karls forland, is where the modest. Find out where svalbard is located, the best entry points for an arctic safari, what country it. The svalbard islands, norway arctic wilderness, wildlife. A norwegian archipelago comprising spitsbergen and. Svalbard spitsbergen polar bears and seabirds may 2020. Violent storms and temperatures in the region of minus 40 degree celsius are not uncommon in the polar circle.
Svalbard is a remote archipelago located halfway between norway and the north pole and is particularly well known for its unique wildlife of polar bears, walruses, arctic foxes and puffins. This stunningly scenic archipelago, with its jagged peaks. Total population is just over 2,200, with most people living in. When spitsbergen was first discovered by the dutch explorer william barents, it was named so for its jagged peaks. The 10 best svalbard accommodation of 2020 prices from au.
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