Longyearbyen: The World’s Northernmost Town

Longyearbyen in Norway - Travel Guide

Longyearbyen: the capital of Svalbard

Longyearbyen is the only town in Spitsbergen, a glacier-covered island belonging to the remote Svalbard archipelago which is also known as the last stop before the North Pole.

Complete darkness reigns from early November to mid February when a hiatus of day and night manages to break through the Polar Night.

However, this small gap of normality doesn’t last long. From mid-April eternal daylight known as the Midnight Sun persists until late August. For most, both periods are a welcomed novelty but under a prolonged duration, I’m sure the novelty would eventually dissipate as the body’s craving to align sleep according to natural daylight takes over.

With a population of just over 2000 people, the community of Longyearbyen is small but it’s still by far the largest settlement on Svalbard. When I hear this, the concept of size becomes to feel very relative so far up North. 

As you can imagine, everyone knows everyone. My guide, Anika, who is originally from Australia, is keen to tell me that despite Longyearbyen’s tiny population, it is a surprisingly multicultural community with over forty different nationalities.

Brightly painted houses cluster together in neat rows to reprieve the solitude otherwise present in this high Arctic landscape where even trees cannot grow.

Longyearbyen town centre

Living in Longyearbyen

Later, I learn Anika has been living in Spitsbergen for the last seven years. She never imagined staying for so long, but she also never imagined falling in love here either. It’s a reason a many people decide to stay and settle in a place different from where they grew up. Though I bet only few people have travelled as far as Anika in the name of love.

longyearbyen town centre

Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

Longyearbyen, Svalbard - the world's northernmost town

Anika told me that the average length of time a person spends living in Svalbard is seven years.

This means she has surpassed the average length of time a person spends living in Svalbard by one year and has no desire to leave anytime soon. In fact she’s bought a place in Longyearbyen with her boyfriend so she won’t be leaving any time in the foreseeable future.

Svalbard has never been a place where generations after generations settle. The only people who lived here were polar scientists and miners, along with a handful of explorers using the area as a base before expeditions to the North Pole.

However, things changed in 1975 when Svalbard’s first and only international airport opened just outside Longyearbyen. It claims the title of the northernmost airport in the world with public scheduled flights. (when you are here, you will soon discover it is the ‘northernmost’ everything).

As soon as you land in the airport and catch a glimpse of the Polar bear at the luggage collection, you know you’ve landed somewhere unique.

You’ll also be happy to hear that Svalbard is a duty free zone so alcohol is a little cheaper compared to the monstrous prices of mainland Norway!

Longyearbyen airport, Svalbard

Tourism in Longyearbyen

With Spitsbergen now being less isolated, tourism has slowly and steadily increased but this doesn’t mean people can head here without doing practical research, it’s important to book a place to stay beforehand as beds are likely to be fully occupied. There isn’t a vast selection of hotels, and due to its strict policy of preserving the unique wildlife and environment, it wants to remain that way.

Accommodation in Longyearbyen

I stayed in the Radisson Blu Hotel. It’s well located in the middle of Longyearbyen and the staff is warm and friendly. It also has an excellent buffet breakfast, nice dining room and a lively pub that locals and visitors enjoy.

I also had dinner at Funken Lodge which is very nice but a bit further away from the centre. If you’re big into food and want something a bit more personal, I think this place might be a better choice as the restaurant, Funktionærmessen, takes it up a notch with fine dining and taster menu. 

If I went back to Svalbard again, however, I’d like to stay at Basecamp Hotel which is modelled on an old trapper-style lodge with lots of exposed wood everything and quirky fixtures and blankets. 

Radisson Blu Hotel, Longyearbyen, Svalbard

Cuisine on Svalbard

Due to its isolation, the cuisine on Svalbard is influenced by the limited availability of fresh produce and the need for preserved and long-lasting ingredients. 

It may be backwards according to some, but the only natural food resources at Svalbard are fish, whale, seal, reindeer and ptarmigans. You cannot expect fresh fruit and veg to the same quantity as mainland Norway or elsewhere in Scandinavia. However, you’ll still find some fruits and veg on restaurant menus, as well as nuts and muesli bars at the supermarket.

Outside of some limitations, you can expect very good food in Longyearbyen. Where possible, it is locally and organically reared. This means reindeer is a very common source of protein, and cloudberries often make up the key ingredient for dessert.

Reindeer meat, Norway

Climate in Svalbard

An omnipresent sense of primitiveness looms over the island.  

You can see how the harsh climate shapes the landscape. It’s important to dress appropriately because you really are at mercy you are to the elements.

In winter temperatures can drop to -30 degrees, and in winter can reach up to 15 degrees. I went in the first week of September and the weather was still surprisingly mild. 

Polar bears

Without preparation, it is no easy feat to venture far beyond Longyearbyen, those wanting to leave the immediate area must do so with an armed guide because this is a territory where polar bears outnumber people.

Longyearbyen photos, Polar bear

I didn’t see a polar bear on my trip, but I did get a photo with a polar bear warning sign. 

An important note to add is that polar bears are highly revered and protected animals in Svalbard.

Inhabitants of Svalbard have to follow strict protocols. If a bear is seen approaching humans, a warning shot is given off to scare away the animal first.

Shooting a polar bear is always the last resort after all other methods to deter it have failed. If this does happen, it needs to be reported to the police immediately.

Adventurers embarking on expeditions in Svalbard will place tripwire around their camping area when they sleep. However, the most reliable method is having someone on night-watch as well as putting down tripwire. 

To avoid an encounter with a polar bear, it’s best to stick to staying in a hotel! 

I also recommend a trip to the Svalbard Museum, where you’ll learn about all the different types of animal species living on Svalbard.

Svalbard, expedition, trekking

Day-trips from Longyearbyen

Leaving Longyearbyen is something every visitor must do to experience the exquisite wildlife and nature.

Witness the beauty of the fjords reflecting the light of the Midnight Sun, or explore the nearby mountains by foot.  Travel by husky dogs, a common and eco-friendly mode of transport used by visitors and locals alike, or head out on a boat trip to explore the incredible glacial landscape.

If there’s one image that can make humans look small and insignificant against nature, it’s the imposing vision of a glacier: a humbling reminder of the earth’s movements.

Glacier, Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Husky dogs, Svalbard

Spitsbergen, wooden building

Additional information about travelling to Longyearbyen

Who did I fly with? Norwegian Airlines
Where did I stay? Radisson Blu Polar Hotel
For more information
: www.spitsbergentravel.com
Don’t miss: A chance to go husky sledding and a boat trip to one of the glaciers.
Other things to do: Visit the Polar Museum and local art gallery.

Would you like to visit the world's northernmost town?

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Hi, I'm Shing

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22 Responses

  1. Great article and beautiful pictures! Very excited to be going there late August for five days, have been wanting to go further up north since visiting Iceland in 2009. Booked two hiking trips and a boat trip out of Longyearbyen so hopefully I’ll get to experience the best Svalbard has to offer!

    1. How exciting Wesley! You’re going to have the experience of a lifetime, and if going further up North is where you want to go, then you can’t get much further than Longyearbyen! Two hiking trips and a boat trip are fantastic ways to see the surrounding areas. Feel free to show off your pictures to me! 🙂

      P.S. If you loved Iceland, it’s guaranteed you’ll love Longyearbyen and the rest of Spitsbergen – they share many qualities!

  2. Holy shit! This looks like the most amazing place. Your photos are superb. I imagine those brightly coloured homes are an absolute must in the darkness and chill of winter.

    1. Happy you like the photos Colleen! I haven’t been in winter, but I agree, colour will definitely reprieve some of the harsher days associated with Arctic weather.

  3. Your blog is amazing, you have been traveling a lot, I heard that one should always carry a gun on Svalbard because polar bears are everywhere…

    Gonna follow you on bloglovin, I really like your posts, wish someday I can travel like that 🙂

    1. Hi Luyi, thanks for the kind words! Guides and many locals carry rifles but most visitors don’t, instead they accompany guides when they leave the centre of Longyearbyen – that way it’s safer. I’ve just checked out your blog and can see that we share a love for travelling and also & Other Stories!! 😉

  4. Awesome! I’ve always dreamed of living in a country with 4 seasons climate. Now I’ll add living in a country with many seasons of daylight into part of my dream 🙂

    1. Hi! Although I do grumble about the lack of sun and all too frequent rain, I still do enjoy the change of the seasons – can only wish for the kind of rays you get in Penang though! 🙂

      I’d love to try living somewhere like Longyearbyen for an extended length of time where perpetual darkness changes to perpetual light – must be an incredible experience!

    1. I find it impossible to describe how beautiful and special this place is Heather! I hope you make time to visit whilst you’re much nearer now! If you go, I definitely advise booking a few excursions beforehand as it’s not the type of place you can just easily wander around in.

  5. Oh what a lovely town. The colorful houses are so great and the view of the mountains behind, stunning! Sounds like a fantastic adventure.

    1. Hi Aubrey, it was a fantastic adventure, and one I want to chase again. The colourful houses are great aren’t they? They definitely make Longyearbyen look a little quirkier!

  6. It must have been wicked up there in the “northern desert”. One-heck-of-a wicked adventure! I’d love to do some hopping trips across Nordic regions, islands… Svalbard, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland…
    But for now I’m more attracted to the places that have plenty of sunlight 🙂

    1. You won’t be disappointed if you get the chance to go, and after you leave it’s difficult to get that place out of your head! I’m dying to go to Greenland. Oh, well if it’s sunlight you’re after then most of Scandinavia has perpetual sunlight 24/7 during summer! However, if you’re wanting hot weather then yeh… Scandinavia wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice 😉

  7. Wow! It looks so much different in the summer, I barely recognise the place. I was up there recently for 16 days in winter when there was barely any light, and snow and ice were everywhere, with -30 temperatures. But it was very beautiful, especially with the northern lights overhead.

    I will be going back in summer sometime to see the difference, and to be able to get out and about with friends there.

    Maybe I will see you up there sometime. It really is such a special place. I was tempted to keep staying with my friend and find a job!

  8. Do you have any recommendations in what would be the best time to visit? I mean, sure polar night for northern lights but I have those too in Tromso. I’m looking into a weekend trip to Svalbard so I’m short on time and I guess visiting during summer would be best then to discover a lot, right? But what about the glacier trip? I’d love to see icebergs up close cause I couldn’t do that in Greenland. Would I be able to visit the glacier and see icebergs in say late August?
    Also, I’m writing an update post on my Northern Norway bucket list right now and wonder whether or not I could use your Longyearbyen pic? I’d of course link back to you!

    1. Hey hey! As you mentioned it, I think the end of August would be a PERFECT time to visit! I’ve also heard the pink skies which you can find in April are also something to behold…. it’s also getting light by then so at least you’d have more hours of exploration (I’m sure you’ll be craving the sunlight after spending the winter in Tromso haha!)

      Personally, I’d choose the end of August for optimun hours of sunlight and to ensure all the boat trips are available. I went on a boat trip to Von Post glacier which is the most affordable boat trip that Spitsbergen Travel offer and I had a fabulous experience, but if you’re looking for a truly unique experience, I recommend taking a boat trip to the ghost town of Pyramiden!

      If you’d like to read more about what activities you can do in Svalbard, check out these posts: http://www.theculturemap.com/arctic-adventures-svalbard-part-1/ and http://www.theculturemap.com/arctic-adventures-svalbard-excursions-part-2/ Wesley took a boat trip to Esmark Glacier which is also an option for you – it’s bigger than Von Post too.

      If you have anymore questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. And of course you can use any of the photos – let me know if you need any in a higher res!

  9. Hi, I will visit Longyearbyen for two days at the beginning of December, do you have something to suggest for this period of the year?
    Thank you for your answer.
    Monica

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