Peaks (norj. Svalbard, sax. Spitsbergen) is To Norway archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
Regions / Settlements
- Barentsburg (Баренцбург) (Russian, population 460, mining in progress)
- Grumant / Coles Bay (Грумант) (Russian, rejected in 1961, resumption of mining activities announced in 2003, still planned for 2007
- Isfjord radio
- Bear Island
- Longyearbyen (population 1800)
- Ny-Ålesund (population 40)
- Pyramiden (Пирамида) (Russian, rejected in 2000)
- Smeerenburg (Dutch settlement, abandoned in the 1660s)
- Sveagruva (population 210)
Cities
- Longyearbyen
Other items
Understand
The Svalbard treaty is the most important document defining the governance of the Svalbard. According to it, Norway - which manages the administration - must treat the signatory countries "absolutely" equally. Norway can collect taxes, but it cannot, for example, transfer tax funds to the mainland, and the funds must be used in Svalbard. The result is fairly low taxation.
Another factor that affects the tourist is the passage. Basically, no one is interested in passports when they reach the Svalbard - because it’s no “country”. But you can't leave Svalbard without a passport, because that's when you're going to a country or the Schengen area. All citizens of all the signatories to the Svalbard Agreement are free to come to the Svalbard - if they want to.
Climate
The Arctic climate is not as cold as you might think. In early August, during the hottest moments of summer, the sun may be warm and the air temperature may rise above 10 ° C. Equally, the next morning you can sleet and the land will be white at least higher up the mountain slopes.
Come
By plane
Longyearbyenin to the airport (DATE: LYR) operated by SAS and Norwegian From Tromsø and From Oslo. Unless you own an ocean-capable Yacht, flying is practically the only way to reach the Svalbard.
By boat
Occasional cargo ships From Murmansk and From Norway.
Move
Judging from the street views, the top mountains have more snowmobiles than people. In Longyearbyen, in addition to the airport bus, you can take a taxi, rental car, bicycle or on foot. The road extends from Björndalen past the airport and Longyearbyen far to Adventdalen and is paved only between the airport and the city center. In winter, snowmobiling is the most common means of transportation. During open water, there are numerous cruises that you can also take advantage of for yourself and your equipment, e.g. for the transport of kayaks to different parts of the Isfjord.
- Dark Season Blues[1]. Blues Festival in October
Talk
Longyearbyen is mostly heard in Norwegian, English and Russian are probably the next most common languages. There are not many people, but there are many nationalities.
See
Glaciers, coal mines, birds, seals, abandoned mining towns.
Tea
Hike, move, embark on a cruise. The peak is a paradise for outdoor people. However, due to the risk of polar bears, it is difficult to leave Longyearbyen without arrangements. A cruise is one option, the offer is plentiful and the destinations are mostly around the Isfjorden, Barentsburg, the Pyramids as well as the glaciers. The program offers kayaking, dog sledding, hiking, but you can also work on your own on a small budget.
The old mines in the Longyearbyen Valley are interesting sights. No mining corridors can be reached forever, but the ruins of Gruve 2 on a hillside above the city are an exciting and dangerous excursion destination. In the dim mine structures, you can imagine how the wagons traveled from inside the mountain to the scales and from there to their cargo silos again after tipping empty back into the tunnels. The coal, on the other hand, was dispensed from the silos into an ingenious line of wire wagons that carried it miles to port. The cable line has come to a standstill, but it still dominates the views of Longyearbyen. Today, coal is transported from operating mines by truck to a port or power plant.
Buy
Buy a T-shirt with a picture of a vodka card printed on it. An authentic liquor card would certainly be a more authentic souvenir, but it does nothing and no one apparently wants or understands to sell.
Eat
The local menu for the restaurant menu consists of seal, deer or fish.
At the supermarket and several equipment stores, you can get practically everything you need for a longer hike, including maps. Going to the top mountains is fantastically open-air oriented. In the shop, you can see groups rotting carts of crisps, biscuits and chocolate. Perhaps for a reason, there is no replenishment in Svalbard along the way.
Juo
The sale of alcoholic beverages is indeed and literally on the card. At Longyearbyen Market you will see an authentic liquor card as you follow the locals ’checkout. Tourists can buy their drinks by showing airline tickets. In the market you will find all the usual juices, refreshments and cola drinks.
You can melt water safely from snow or ice. Surface waters are, of course, mostly clean, but glacier rivers are usually turbid. Use discretion. The tap water is clean.
Sleep
Longyearbyen offers several accommodation options of different levels and prices, at least during the summer. Camping in the immediate vicinity of the city is not allowed. The cheapest place to stay can be found at the Camping, which also offers tents. Due to the danger of polar bears, camping is different from the rest of the world anyway. The camp needs to be guarded around the clock or surrounded by polar bear alarms - which are not always helpful. There is no security at the campsite, but security is said to be based on the fact that there is always a day in the summer and someone is always awake. In open terrain, polar bears can be seen from afar and are not allowed into the city.
The old miners' dormitories have been refurbished into hostel-type accommodation at a price level between the campsite and the hotel. This accommodation is higher in the valley in the village of Nybyen, a short distance from the glacier.
Stay safe
When talking about the peaks and the risks of the Arctic, the polar bear comes to the fore. The peaks are the polar bear's own kingdom. While the seal is the polar bear’s main prey, from its point of view, everything that has “meat around the bones” has potential food, including humans. It is not timid, rather curious, and can strike anywhere, anytime. In the Longyearbyen area, polar bear sightings are made regularly. In times of melt water, polar bears are particularly hungry because they cannot get to the sea to hunt seals.
In the high mountains, guns can be seen by anyone who moves in the slightest out of settlement. Here, guns do not increase insecurity but eliminate it. If you want to wander farther than the line of sight of buildings and other people, get your own weapon or join a party where one is. Rifles can be rented, and a temporary weapons permit can be applied for from Sysselman. Obtaining a permit will help if you have one in your home country. The use of the weapon can be practiced on the shooting range on the slope above the airport.
The use of a weapon must be controlled and shooting a polar bear is a last resort. A bear can also be intimidated by unpleasant bangs. If you are moving a snowmobile, it is wisest to just drive away. A polar bear killed a British schoolboy in July 2011, about 40 km from Longyearbyen.
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