Spitsbergen

This is a largely uninhabited wilderness, where the spectacular scenery provides a home for an array of distinctive and beautiful creatures. Travelling around the rocky coastlines of the archipelago, you can experience close encounters with seals and walrus, with the opportunity to witness the very symbol of the Arctic in this pristine habitat - the polar bear.
Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard Archipeligo, set in the Arctic Ocean. It covers approximately 15,075 square miles (23,641 square kilometers). It is around 280 miles (450 kilometers) long and between 25 and 140 miles (40 and 225 kilometers) wide.

Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen is the seat of local government and Norway's main administrative centre on Svalbard. There are no roads between the different settlements here, which opens for snowmobiles and boats as the most common ways of transportation.

Temperatures

Despite of Svalbard being so close to the North Pole, the archipelago has a relatively mild climate compared to areas at the same latitude. In Longyearbyen, the average temperature ranges from 14° Celsius below zero during winter to 6°Celsius above zero during summer.

Birds and bears

Some of the largest concentrations of birds in the North Atlantic region can be found at Svalbard. Other animals are the Svalbard Reindeer, the Arctic Fox and a species of mouse, a sibling vole. Polar bears can be encounter wherever you are on Svalbard.

Glaciers

About 60% of Svalbard’s land-mass is covered by small and large glaciers. Only 6-7% of the land-area is covered by vegetation. The nature is vulnerable and there are many restrictions on how to behave.