 Longyearbyen, view from the old power station | ||
| Longyearbyen | ||
| Country | Svalbard | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2.417 (2020) | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Longyearbyen (pronounced: "LUNG-yer-bin") is the largest settlement on the island of Svalbard and from Svalbard. It is on the south side of the Advent fjords and extends along the river Longyearelva.
background
Longyearbyen is named after the American entrepreneur John Munro Longyear (1860-1922). He was chairman of the Arctic coal company and founded the city and the neighboring coal mine, the first ever on Svalbard. Mining is no longer big business - with the exception of Mine 7 (which can still produce until around 2035), the mines that are visible everywhere on the mountain edges are closed. Tourism has become an important source of income. With almost 2,000 inhabitants, Longyearbyen is de-facto the "capital" of the archipelago. It owns an airport, school, mall, hotels, restaurants, and more.
The center of the village is near the coast on the east side of the river. The district is on the other side Skjaerringa. The district Nybyen is 2 km south and the airport 3 km west. Adventdalen, the valley with what is currently Longyearbyen's only operational mine (Gruve 3), extends to the east. The free map helps you get your bearings Longyearbyen 78 ° Northwhich has a detailed city map and contains all the services that are available in the village. It is available at the airport and in most accommodations.
getting there
The 1 Longyearbyen Airport
(IATA: LYR) is about 5 km northwest of the Ortest. A SAS flight lands on it every day and all year round Tromso, there is also a flight twice a week in the summer season Oslo. The airport has a cafeteria and a gift and tax-free shop, but no other services. Shuttle buses run to all hotels and guest houses, tailored to the arrival and departure times. The fare is NOK 75 per person.
The 2 port the village is just under 2 km northwest of the center. It is open both in winter and in summer, as there is never any pack ice on the west side of Svalbard. A ship from Tromsø arrives here once a week. In summer there is daily connection to Barentsburg and pyramids. In the summer, one to several cruise ships of various sizes come almost every day. It is planned to increase the port's capacity.
mobility
Except for the airport shuttle bus, there is no public transport. Running is of course the first option, although walking becomes quite tiring if your goal is outside of the center of the village. Alternatively, you can try your luck with hitchhiking or rent a bike at the Svalbard base camp. The tourist information office rents simple mountain bikes for free. Rental period up to a week. Taxi service (Tel. 47 7902 1305) and car rental is also available.
Tourist Attractions
In Svalbard it is customary to take off your shoes when entering a house. This also applies to museums. Sometimes you can also get plastic overshoes that are put on over your street shoes.
Sightseeing is pretty rare and most visitors come for it activities here.
- 1 Svalbard Museum (Svalbard Science Senter). Tel.: 47 79 02 64 90, Email: [email protected]. The museum was awarded a Council of Europe Prize in 2008. The exhibition focuses on the history of Svalbard and nature in the Arctic. The museum is in the same complex as the tourist information and the UNIS polar institute. When entering the museum: put on overshoes.Open: Mar-Sept 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct-Feb 12 a.m.-5 p.m.Price: Entry adult NOK 75.
- 2 Svalbard Kirke. Tel.: 47 79 02 55 60. The small Svalbard Church is the northernmost church in the world, it stands a little above the city and is open around the clock all year round. In the basement of the extension there is a large cloakroom, where you can exchange your shoes for slippers, and there is also a toilet. There is a meeting room on the upper floor, which is open to the actual church.
- 3 Svalbard Gallery, Nybyen. Permanent and changing exhibitions by Svalbard artists, entry 45 NOK. The adjoining studios are freely accessible. The same applies here: shoes off or overshoes on.
- 4 Spitsbergen Airship Museum. Tel.: 47 91 38 34 67. Exhibits dedicated to the exploration of the Arctic by Amundsen, Noblie and others with the help of airships.Open: daily from 9:00 a.m.
- 5 graveyard. The simple crosses in the old cemetery are reminiscent of the victims of mining accidents, but primarily of the 10 victims of the Spanish flu of 1918. Due to the permafrost, the ground of Svalbard is frozen up to 100 m deep and only thaws superficially in the summer months. Because the corpses do not decompose under these conditions, burials in the earth were forbidden on Svalbard.
- 6 Gruve 2 b,Julenissegruva (Santa's Pit). Candles burn behind the windows of the disused mine during the polar night. This way the children know that Santa Claus lives here.
- 1 Global Seed Vault. The seeds of numerous cultivated plants are permanently stored in this cold chamber. Not accessible to private individuals and not necessarily worth seeing, but of general interest.
- 2 EISCAT. The institute uses huge parabolic antennas to research the interplay between solar radiation and the earth
- 3 Kjell Henriksen Observatory
activities
Summer activities
Numerous activities are offered in the midnight sun. Prices are high - from NOK 500 for a half-day tour to over NOK 1,000 for a full-day tour - but such are the standards. You can choose from hike, dog sledding, Kayak tours, FatBike tours and Snowmobile safaris, even a tour of the Coal mining and more is offered by the many tourist guides in Svalbard. The largest providers are Spitsbergen Travel and Svalbard Wildlife Service (SWS). At Green dog Huskies are the power source, and it doesn't matter whether the sled is on runners or has wheels. It is more comfortable Arctic tapas, The tours take place on the bus, sometimes a four-course menu is included in the price. Examples of such tours:
- Esmarkbreen Glacier. Across from Isfjorden (2 to 3 hours by boat). Beautiful glacier opposite the bay, colored an impressive blue. Throw a piece of ice in your glass for an arctic martini. Often combined with trips to Barentsburg.
- Mine 3 (Gruve 3). SWS runs daily excursions to this coal mine, which was closed in 1996. The tours are organized by former miners who give the visitor a good overview of how strenuous and difficult the work of the miners must have been. The underground temperature is always -5 ° C, so bring warm clothes; Overalls, helmets and lights are available on site. 3 hours, 590 NOK per person, no children under 14 years.
- Pyramids. Across from Isfjorden (2 to 3 hours by boat). A former Russian mining settlement, closed in 1996. Best known for its statue of Lenin (the northernmost in the world).
Winter activities
Also in Bright winter Depending on the weather, numerous tours are offered between February and May. At this time of year, the snowmobile is the most important means of transport, and instead of buses, snow cats or snow groomers are used. If you want to drive yourself, you have the choice:
- 1 Svalbard Snøscooterutleie (Rental of snow scooters). Open: high season 01.09.-21.05. Mo-Fr 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sa 10 a.m.-2 p.m., low season 01.06.-31.08. Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Fatbike Spitsbergen
shop
Shopping on Svalbard focuses on the two-story 1 Lompensenteret. Pay attention to the limited opening times: most shops are only open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week and only from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
The tax-free status does alcohol cheaper than on that Norwegian Mainland, but the prices are still noticeably higher than in Germany.
- North pole, in 2 Svalbardbutikken. Sells a wide range of beers, wines and spirits, but there are sales quotas and you have to show your flight ticket or boat ticket. Also note the restricted opening times: during the week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., closed on Sundays.
Most of the shops are concentrated in the pedestrian zone, which is located within a radius of 200 m from the hospital.
kitchen
Eating out in Longyearbyen itself is a money guzzler - the cheapest meals are from NOK 70 and up. The only cheap option is self-sufficiency:
- Svalbardbutikken, across from the Lompensenteret. The only supermarket in Svalbard is also a real department store. Svalbardbutikken has a surprisingly large selection. Pay attention to the price stickers, especially for perishable items: half a cucumber costs 10 NOK and a kilo of bananas costs 20 NOK.Open: during the week 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sa Su reduced opening times.
Restaurants and pubs, arranged upwards in price:
- Café bosom, Lompensenteret. Generous portions for a basic price between 70 and 100 NOK. Open at lunchtime and for dinner, with a menu that changes daily.
- Classic pizza, Lompensenteret. Open: daily 5 p.m. - 5 a.m. the next morning.Price: Pizza and kebab from NOK 79.
- Kroa, Svalbard base camp.
- Nansen restaurant, Radisson SAS.
accommodation
An overnight stay in anything that does not have a tarpaulin as a roof is invariably expensive. In the season from October to May the prices are 20 to 50% below those of the high season. The only halfway cheap option is:
- 1 Longyearbyen Camping (near the airport (4 km to Longyearbyen)). Tel.: 47 7902 1444. Promises an "intense nature experience" on the northernmost fully managed campsite in the world. Overnight stays start from 120 NOK per night, not including tent rental 150 NOK / night and even the warm shower with 10 NOK for 5 minutes (machine). Open only in summer.
A row of pensions offers standard overnight accommodation. With these types of overnight stays, you should especially read the small print carefully; often breakfast, bed linen, towels and maybe even the bathtub are not included in the price.
- 2 Gjestehuset 102, Nybyen. Tel.: 47 7902 5716. A former miners' shelter that has been converted into a simple but comfortable guesthouse with bathroom and kitchenette; the main disadvantage of this property is its location - a 20-minute walk from the center of the village. Single / double room 570/895 NOK, including bed linen and breakfast.
- 3 Mary-Ann's Polarrigg. Tel.: 47 7902 3702, Email: [email protected]. Formerly miners' barracks, today Bed & Breakfast. Slightly more expensive than the competition - single / double room 995/1150 NOK, no Breakfast included (additional NOK 135). The advantage here, however, is the central location.
Upscale
- 4 Bascamp Trapper's Hotel (Svalbard base camp). Tel.: 47 7902 4600, Email: [email protected]. Longyearbyen's most atmospheric luxury hotel, fur-hunter-style rooms with seal busts and driftwood in abundance. Don't let the name confuse you: "Camping" here means that an overnight stay will cost you 1,590 NOK in the high season (but only half in winter).
- 5 Radisson SAS Polar Hotel. Tel.: 47 7902 3450. The Polar Hotel claims to be the northernmost luxury hotel in the world, with a restaurant, bar, sauna and free internet access. It's pretty low-spirited, however. The prices in the high season start at 1,450 NOK and can go up to the immeasurable.
Learn
UNIS is the world's northernmost institute for education and research. Courses in geophysics, arctic biology, geology and arctic technology are offered. There is a student residence in Nybyen with 142 single rooms.
Work
security
Emergency numbers: as in Norway
- 110 fire brigade
- 112 police
- 113 emergency doctor
On the outskirts of Longyearbyen, signs warn of polar bears. If you want to move outside of the city, you have to carry a weapon with you. For details on weapons see www.sysselmannen.no/It is advisable to only leave the safe zone on guided tours.
health
Practical advice
- It is located in the Svalbard Science Center, in this building complex is also the Svalbard Museum.
Apply to Svalbard behaviour rulesas they should be observed in a similar form all over the world. However, there are some peculiarities related to the nature and history of the archipelago.
- When seagulls and other seabirds rear their brood in early summer, they can become aggressive and attack walkers, always at their highest point. A stick held up prevents an attack on the head.
- Much of the archipelago is under nature protection. Picking individual flowers can also affect biodiversity and should therefore be avoided.
- All traces of human civilization from before 1946 are protected by law.
- 7 post The post office is in a building in the pedestrian zone, in the same building is a branch of Sparebank 1 with an ATM.
- Library (Library), Lompensenteret 2F. This surprisingly extensive library has an excellent selection of books on Svalbard (some in English), English-language fiction and, most importantly, three free internet connections.Open: Mon, Wed, Thu 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tue Sat 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Fri-Sun closed.
- Svalbard Reiseliv, Næringsbygget (at Lompen). Tel.: 47 7902 5551, Email: [email protected]. The official tourist office is a treasure trove of information about Longyearbyen and the rest of Svalbard.Open: during the week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
trips
Longyearbyen Airport is the starting point for trips to North Pole. A less demanding goal is Barentsburg, the last remaining Russian settlement on Svalbard. Easily accessible with a day tour.
literature
- Andreas Umbreit: Spitzbergen with Franz-Joseph-Land and Jan Mayen, Conrad Stein Verlag 7th edition 2004 ISBN 3-89392-282-2
