Fog veils in coral over furrowed ice floes. Daylight takes a last breath before disappearing into the Arctic Ocean. The sun’s rays have not reached Longyearbyen on Svalbard since October, today is March. We roll out of the world’s northernmost airport and into the world’s northernmost capital. Encounters a warning sign with a polar bear on it. It is easy to realize that you have landed in a fantasy journey.
The trip to Svalbard took place in March 2017, but the post was written and fact-checked in January 2022.
The Svalbard archipelago consists of roughly 2,000 people, 3,000 polar bears and 4,000 snowmobiles. Basically all residents live in the capital Longyearbyen, which is located on the island with the exotic name of Spitsbergen. Here you will find the world’s most northerly university, the world’s most northerly church, and – should it turn out – the world’s most northerly chocolate factory and champagne collection.
Despite its remoteness, the inhabitants come from 53 different countries. Many come here to study or work seasonally but fall in love with the place and stay for a few more years. People talk about the “Arctic fly” which affects visitors to Svalbard and which causes them to refuse to move south. Despite this, the average lifespan of a resident is only seven years.
It’s the eighth of March and the day it turns for the Svalbards (should at least be a word?). It’s the day when the sun will FINALLY manage to come all the way up over the mountains that surround Longyearbyen and give a few minutes of sunlight to the city’s streets and squares. A big day of course!
We take the snowmobiles and go to the rock opposite the town where the villagers have just held this year’s sun ceremony. From here you have a first floor view of the city, the Adventfjord and the surrounding glaciers. It is powerful nonetheless, Mother Earth.
The center of Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen’s center consists of a street lined with a shopping mall, a grocery store, a pharmacy and a cultural center (among other things). In the center stands a statue, a monument to honor the city’s miners. Good to know is that you still take off your shoes before entering a restaurant, a legacy from the time when you wanted to avoid getting the coal black mining dust of the miners on the interior.
Things to do in and around Longyearbyen
1. The world’s northernmost church
A bit above the town is the red wooden church in all its glory. With both a tower and a spire, you would think it was a completely ordinary church, but already inside the entrance door you understand that this is not the case. A safe awaits for those who need to lock up their rifle. Polar bears are a common sight in Svalbard and it is only inside the center of Longyearbyen that you should go alone without a weapon or an armed guide.
Outside the church, the priest is washing his snowmobile. He will soon drive off to hold this year’s sun party up on the mountain.
2. Svalbard brewery
The world’s northernmost artisanally brewed beer is of course served in Longyearbyen. A beer brewed on glacier water! For the best experience, book a beer tasting and a visit to the brewery.
Fun fact is Svalbard’s equivalent of the Swedish counterbook, a method of controlling residents’ alcohol purchases. This system is still used in Svalbard. Residents must register their alcohol purchases in an “alcohol card” and may consume a maximum of two bottles of spirits, half a bottle of strong wine, 24 cans of 4.75% beer and light wine within “reasonable limits” in a month. Quite generous, however, by the governor, as the island group’s equivalent of the prime minister is called (the governor was called the governor until 2021, but has now become gender neutral).
3. Freune café and chocolate factory
In the center of Longyearbyen, you can have coffee at Freune’s. Freshly baked cakes, buns and home-made chocolate are served there. I hardly need to mention that it is thus the world’s northernmost chocolate factory, do I? A cozy and personal place to hang out.
4. Luxury food and champagne cellar at Funken Lodge
Upstairs in the hotel Funken Lodge is what is considered Svalbard’s most luxurious restaurant. The champagne lover books a visit to the cellar vault, the Old North Pole, a historic place that used to act as a stage for those who wanted to collect their alcohol ration – today an exclusive champagne collection. Both the hotel and the restaurant have had time to be completely renovated since my visit, but the layout is the same.
5. Coal Miners’ Bar & Grill
Nybyen is a district on the outskirts of Longyearbyen. Here you can stay in one of the former miners’ barracks, and eat a real mining meal at the Coal Miners’ Bar & Grill. Their “Nybyen Gruvfest” is a goal created for the miners that definitely doesn’t leave anyone hungry. The restaurant is temporarily closed due to corona but hopes to open again soon.
6. Three courses and northern lights
The northern lights on Svalbard are not unusual, here I personally experience the most spectacular northern lights of my life so far outside Sveagruva. For those who do not want to travel 250 km on a snowmobile, a tip is to book a trip with Better Moments. You will be picked up by snowmobile and then driven out to a Sami hut on the outskirts of Longyearbyen. There you will be served a three-course dinner next to the fire – and just in time for dessert you can hopefully experience the northern lights outside.
7. Ice cave i The Longyear Glacier
Beneath the Longyear Glacier hides an underground ice cave that you can reach by trolley. Nothing for the claustrophobic, the corridors are narrow and the darkness compact, but with the help of the headlamp there is a whole frozen world to discover. The ice is thousands of years old in places and even if my tall body sometimes has to strain hard to breathe deeply, it is clearly fascinating.
8. Longyearbyen’s mines
Longyearbyen was built as a home for the miners who worked in the town during the 20th century. Around Longyearbyen there are several remnants from the mining industry whose carbon black metal skeletons provide a dramatic contrast to the otherwise dazzling snowy landscape. Book a trip to mine no. 3, or do as I did and be content with experiencing the mine remains from the outside. Instead, I went on a two-day snowmobile trip to Sveagruvan, which has since been discontinued.
9. Rent a snowmobile
If you visit Longyearbyen in winter, the best way to experience the surroundings is by snowmobile. Book in on one of the tours that take you around the snowy landscape. Anyone who likes to avoid the sound of the engine can of course book in on a sled ride with polar dogs.
