A view of Longyearbyen in the blue hour light of the spring.
On a clear day, the approach to Longyearbyen Airport on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard leaves a stunning first impression. The vast expanse of glistening glaciers stretch out to the horizon, serving as a breathtaking reminder that you are closing in on 78˚N—a mere 817 miles from the North Pole. For comparison, Utqiagvik, Alaska, lies at 71˚N.
Aboard a commercial jetliner, you cannot venture any farther north on Earth than Svalbard. As you begin your descent, you start to ponder where the plane could possibly land. There isn't a hint of human habitation in sight, not even a solitary wooden cabin.
Yet as the plane continues its descent, a glimmer of civilization emerges at the end of another snow-covered valley.
The flight to Longyearbyen on Svalbard is spellbinding on a clear day.
A cluster of buildings, almost imperceptible at first, gradually comes into focus. Welcome to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, where humans share the land with polar bears and must cope without sunlight for several months every year.
Introducing Svalbard
While Longyearbyen is the biggest settlement on Svalbard and a testament to human resilience and adaptability, it’s far from the only settlement. The unique Svalbard Treaty that grants governance to Norway but allows other countries to settle on the archipelago has resulted in a collection of frontier towns, mining settlements and research stations.
While the airport makes getting there relatively straightforward if not cheap, visiting Svalbard remains a true adventure. Whalers, trappers and miners have been largely replaced by researchers and tourists, yet a frontier spirit remains, especially in the smaller settlements of the archipelago.
Scattered across Spitsbergen, the largest island, several communities have endured harsh conditions and boast a fascinating mix of Norwegian, Russian and international influence. From the surprisingly modern town Longyearbyen to several Arctic research and mining outposts, these are the main settlements of Svalbard.
Longyearbyen
The de facto capital of Svalbard, Longyearbyen was founded as a mining settlement in 1906 by American John Munro Longyear of the Arctic Coal Company. More than 100 years later, Longyearbyen’s primary industries are research and tourism.
Longyearbyen Airport in Svalbard is the world's northernmost airport with regular, scheduled ... [+]
In many ways, the approximately 2,000 residents of Longyearbyen live a modern European life. Along with the airport, there’s a school, kindergarten, hotels, restaurants, bars, hospital, library, public swimming hall, church, shopping mall and fast internet. Yet it doesn’t take long until the differences become apparent.
Winter and outdoor clothing stores outnumber other stores. There are just a handful of roads, and in the winter most people choose to use snowmobiles instead of cars. Fences built into the valley sides are a visible reminder of the very real avalanche risk. Reindeer roam freely, and every so often a polar bear wanders into the town.
Because of the ongoing risk of polar bear attack, residents and visitors are required to carry a gun (and know how to use it) whenever leaving the settlement limits. As such, weapons are a common sight.
Ny-Ålesund
Outside of Longyearbyen, the settlements are much smaller and more focused. The other Norwegian settlement of note is Ny-Ålesund.
Although Norwegian by governance, the research settlement welcomes scientists from all over the world keen to study climate change, natural sciences and environmental monitoring.
Arctic environmental research scientists from all over the world are based at the research station ... [+]
Although not set up for tourism, Ny-Ålesund does welcome the occasional expedition cruise ship or boat trips from Longyearbyen. There is no overnight accommodation available for tourists, but a small museum and store provides some basic facilities.
Because of the sensitive scientific equipment in Ny-Ålesund, the settlement and its surroundings are a radio silence zone. This means tourists are required to switch off all transmitting equipment, including setting smartphones to flight mode and switching off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Drones are also not permitted.
Russian settlements on Svalbard
Although the 44 signatories of the Svalbard Treaty have the right to launch commercial activity on Svalbard, only Russia has taken advantage of the right to any great extent. Svalbard’s population of Russians live almost exclusively in the mining town Barentsburg, although Russia also maintains the facilities in Pyramiden.
Although Longyearbyen is building up a tourism industry, the war in Ukraine has derailed Russia’s plans to do the same in Barentsburg and Pyramiden.
Apartment buildings in the Russian settlement Barentsburg in Svalbard.
Cruise ships planning to call at Barentsburg have been forced to make alternate plans, while day trips from Longyearbyen are on hold amid tensions with Russia throughout the Arctic region.
Barentsburg
Russia’s version of Longyearbyen remains an active mining community home to approximately 450 mostly Russian and Ukrainian citizens. As with Longyearbyen, Barentsburg has a school, store, swimming hall, research center and a small museum.
Originally a Dutch controlled mine, Barentsburg was sold to the Soviet Union in the 1930s. Barentsburg is economically dependent on Russia and those traveling there must take a boat, helicopter flight or snowmobile tour from the main airport at Longyearbyen.
Pyramiden
This abandoned Russian mining settlement has become an unlikely tourist attraction. While there are no plans to reopen the settlement with a permanent population, it is being maintained with a handful of caretakers looking after a basic hotel, museum, post office, and restored movie theater.
