The northernmost limits of Europe, the Spitsbergen archipelago is located only one and a half hours from the North Pole .Permafrost, endless snowy landscapes and regularly encountered polar bears - here is a portrait of Spitsbergen in general terms .However, in this kingdom of ice tourism is developed into a solid five with a plus: hotels of the capital of the archipelago during the season are literally packed with those wishing to join the harsh winter - and this despite the very high cost of placing .Everything is expensive in Svalbard, but tourists do not mind it - most of them are preparing to conquer the North Pole, and the smaller part is enjoying exotic tourism: kayaking among icebergs, watching polar bears and visiting abandoned coal mines..
The capital is Longyearbyen.
Settlements - Barentsburg, Niu-Alesund, Pyramid.
Group and individual tours of the fjords.
Lighthouses and farms. Cottages in Norway.
Tours for sporting events.
Northern Norway. The Lofoten Islands.
Svalbard - a short educational program
Spitsbergen is the Russian name of the archipelago. In Norwegian islands are called Svalbard and are part of the kingdom since 1920. Economic activity in Svalbard due to the special status of the archipelago is carried out by two states: Norway and Russia. Our country here belongs to the settlement of Barentsburg and now the canned miners' settlements Pyramid and Grumant.
The archipelago consists of three large and seven small islands, as well as a large number of small uninhabited islets. The largest and most developed island is Western Spitsbergen, it is here that the capital of the Longyear archipelago and other Norwegian and Russian settlements are located. The total number of inhabitants of the archipelago does not exceed 3000.
How to get to Spitsbergen
A direct flight to Spitsbergen from Russia is an almost unattainable luxury: charters are organized only a few times a season and are intended primarily for researchers and government officials traveling to the archipelago for state affairs.
Regular flights to Spitsbergen's only Longyearbyen airport are performed by Norwegian Airlines and SAS. The Norwegian Airlines board connects Oslo and Longyearbye three times a week throughout the year, during the season (from March to August) the number of flights increases. The flight time is about 3 hours. SAS aircraft fly between Oslo, Tromsø and Longyearbye also three times a week during the year and more often in the summer season.
Search for air tickets to Oslo (nearest airport to Svalbard)
Visa to Spitsbergen
Despite the fact that Svalbard is part of Norway, it is not included in the Schengen zone. As such, a visa to Spitsbergen is not needed for citizens of 41 countries, including Russia. However, considering that you can enter here only through the territory of Norway, you will need twofold Schengen visa - after all on the way back from the archipelago, tourists will again have to enter Norway, and only then to follow to Russia.
- To see the northern lights from the side of the snow car somewhere in the midst of the boundless snow-covered valleys of the island.
- Look at the polar bear in its live and immediate magnitude.
- Learn how to handle a gun until the polar bear looks at you more closely.
- Dine in taste in one of the best restaurants in Scandinavia.
- Find a prehistoric fossil with a fern and take it as a souvenir in Russia.
- Kayak around the amazingly blue icebergs.
Where to go
On Svalbard there is a single "civilized" road - the highway leading from Longyearbyen airport to the city and on to the so-called No. 7 mine. However, it can not boast asphalt. The streets of Longyearbyen are no different from the streets of European cities, and almost every local resident has a car. In winter, everyone drives around on snowmobiles. Between the islands in summer ferries run, and in the winter - also flights of light-engine aircraft. The ocean around Svalbard does not freeze, so ships run around the year.
Climate
The Norwegian name of the Svalbard archipelago literally means "cold edge" - a very suitable name for the realm of snow and ice. Nevertheless, the climate on Spitsbergen is not so severe, as it seems, looking at the map. The warm North Atlantic current is washed by the archipelago, preventing it from establishing around the permanent ice cover - if not for its waters, the shores of Spitsbergen would be surrounded by ice year-round.
The average July temperature in Svalbard is about + 4 ... + 6 ° C, in January - about -11 ... -15 ° С, which is an incredible 20 ° C higher than the thermometer in similar latitudes of Eurasia and North America. The high tourist season lasts here from June to August, but the period from March to May is also popular - this time of year is ideal for a variety of winter fun: there is still a lot of snow, and the sun is already shining with full force.
Safety of tourists
Polar bears and frostbite are the two main dangers facing tourists on Spitsbergen .For protection from the first, every inhabitant of the archipelago carries a gun with him - even going to a pub to drink beer with buddies .And the most important thing that local students begin to learn on the first day of the school year is how to shoot a gun..Tourists are offered to rent a gun in one of the specialized shops in Longyearbyen - but this measure will not be necessary for everyone: only if you plan to make solitary outings beyond the so-called zero zone - Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Pyramids and surroundings .In this case, you will also need a special permission from the governor and a solid pledge - in case of emergency evacuation and (not even an hour) repatriation of the body to your homeland .
Protect against frostbite is much easier: during the summer it does not threaten, and in winter you will need special Arctic clothing, including thermal underwear, and the maximum head covering the head. In the tourist office of Spitsbergen tourists are given a detailed memo about how to dress in the archipelago in the winter.
Spitsbergen hotels
Hotels on Spitsbergen are located exclusively in Longyearbyen. True, one hotel is available in Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund, but in the first case we are talking about a very old Soviet building with an appropriate level of comfort, and in the second - about a base for scientists.
In Longyearbyen to the services of travelers about a dozen hotels - from simple guesthouses to "Radisson". Variants of accommodation are very exotic: a former radio station converted into a hotel (a satellite dish in front of the entrance remained as a monument), a frozen schooner with pretty cabin-numbers, a lodge on the shore of the Arctic Gulf ... frozen in the ice. rather big prices, of course) you will find in the magnificent Radisson Blu Polar Hotell.
Cuisine and restaurants of Spitsbergen
Because of the remoteness of Spitsbergen from the "big earth" and the location near the North Pole, the local cuisine is full of amazing features. Fruits and vegetables can not be found here (except for "long-playing" potatoes, carrots, etc.), and perishable products are extremely meager and are very expensive. The basis of Svalbard's cuisine is canned, frozen and dried ingredients, of which local chefs manage to make really delicious dishes.
From the "fresh" and fresh in the menu of restaurants you can find dishes from walrus, seal and reindeer. But bear cubs will not be able to taste: in the year only a few white toe-offs are fired at a special order of the governor.
Shopping and Stores
Shopping in Spitsbergen is pleasant and in many ways beneficial: the entire territory of the archipelago is a zone of duty-free trade. First of all, this refers to alcohol, tobacco products, cosmetics, perfumes and sports equipment. Here it is possible with great benefit for a purse to acquire branded Arctic clothing and footwear. Alcohol is sold in the wine market Nordpolet. Most stores are open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays and from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays, Sundays are closed.
Typical souvenirs of Spitsbergen are all kinds of images of polar bears, from photo cards to plates and toys of various sizes. Also popular here are "obshchenorvezhskie" goods - sweaters and other knitwear with deer and snowflakes, warm winter shoes.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Svalbard
Excursions and entertainment on the Spitsbergen have snow and ice as their primary constituents. At the service of tourists - hiking in cross-country skiing lasting from one hour to a full day, traveling by dog sledding and snowmobiling. For physically prepared tourists, expeditions to the interior of the island lasting from 5 to 14 days are offered - also on skis, dog sledges and snowmobiles. During a night excursion on snowmobiles you can admire the northern lights and deserted snow-covered terrain away from Longyearbyen. Another worthwhile trip is to hike through ice caves located directly in the thickness of glaciers, or to conquer one of the summits of Spitsbergen, for example, the 850-meter "trolley stone" of Trollstein.
In summer, cruises around the archipelago, kayaking, horse riding, quad safaris and hiking tours are added to this list. There are also excursions for fans of paleontology: on the slopes of the glaciers of Lars and Longyearbyen, you can find many fossils with printed silhouettes of plants and animals, whose age ranges from 40 to 60 million years. Their quantity is so great that it can be freely exported from Spitsbergen.
Still definitely worth visiting the Museum of Spitsbergen, where it is interesting to talk about the geology and history of the region, its unique flora and fauna, human activity. Longyearbyen also houses the world's most northerly church. In the Museum of Aeronautics of Svalbard you can learn about the heroic attempts of aviation pioneers to reach the North Pole. And in the gallery Store you can see the work of a local artist.