Svalbard Favorites

  Svalbard Church
by fred98115
 
  • Svalbard Church
      Svalbard Church
    by fred98115
  • Residences in town
      Residences in town
    by fred98115
  • Residences and the mountains
      Residences and the mountains
    by fred98115
  • Edge of town
      Edge of town
    by fred98115
  • Insulated pipes above the tundra
      Insulated pipes above the tundra
    by fred98115
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Tender-service in Longyear-bay

by globetrott

In Lonyear-bay we always had to disembark our passengers by tender-boats. This is something you always have to considder, when calculating your time ashore. At first the passengers could go ashore, afterwards the crew, who had also the last tender already 30 minutes before the last tender for passengers would leave. This is Svalbard - these mountains are situated opposite of Longyearbyen, Svalbard's capital..Our cruise-ship M/S Vistafjord had to anchor off the small port, where only rather small ships may dock.

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Helpful links

by tini58de

When preparing a trip to Longyearbyen, the following links might be helpful:http://www.longyearbyen.net (Norwegian only!)http://www.svalbard.comhttp://www.wildlife.nohttp://www.svalbard.nethttp://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no

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Paradise for ornithologists

by tini58de

The Arctic in general - and that includes Svalbard - are a paradise for ornithologists! There are 145 different species - so don't forget your binoculars and get ready to watch!No matter if they are solo or in colonies - black and white or colorful - the variety is just amazing!Sorry, I do not know the names of the birds in the pictures - if anybody does, please contact me and I will happily add them as a caption!

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Weather in Svalbard

by maryellen50

Despite Svalbard being so close to the North Pole, the archipelago has a relatively mild climate compared to areas at the same latitude. It is not uncommon on Svalbard to have long periods during the winter with temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees with a wind-chill factor that compounds the cooling effect of the low temperatures. During the summer it is common with periods of fog. Svalbard may be described as an "Arctic desert" with annual rain- and snowfall at a mere 200-300 mm. The weather on Svalbard can shift very quickly and variations are often considerable.

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Trouble with the law? Try a lawyer...

by Saagar

Your husband got eaten by a polar bear? Complaints about being cheated by a cruise organiser? Wrangling with the Sysselmannen over expedition permits? If you need assistance in dealing with the law, there are at least three lawyers in (or experienced in) Longyearbyen:Advokat Skotte: phone 88003040, e-mail skotte@skotte.no www.skotte.noAdvokatkontoret i Longyearbyen, personnel present every 4 weeks from the firm Haavind Vislie, otherwise the main office is in Oslo, call 22433000. In Longyearbyen: Mr. Håkon Bleken h.bleken@haavind.no, and Mr. Geir Steinberg g.steinberg@haavind.noThe lawyers' office in Longyearbyen is located in the business house (Næringsbygget) on the main pedestrian drag, or P.O.Box 403, NO-9171 Longyearbyen. In Oslo: Bygdøy Alle 2.www.haavind.no

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Planning map for Svalbard

by Saagar

If you need a planning map for Svalbard, then look at this web address:http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/skjemaer/svalbard_LR.pdf There are also other maps on this site, that belongs to the Governor of Svalbard.

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Icebergs all over

by globetrott

Icebergs will be found in the water all over Svalbardonly about 10% of the are visible, the rest is under water and might be a certain danger for the shipAnd these Icebergs consist of ice from the glacier - that means it is sweet-water - and will melt slowly in the icy saltwater

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Spitzbergen

by globetrott

have a look at these mountains and you know, where the name "Spitzbergen" comes from.......be prepared that in summer the sun will not go down at night and you may take pics at midnight, although it is a cloudy day (night)

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Blue ice and hundred of miles of virgin snow

by wideview

Snowmobiling for several consecutive days, over glaciers and frozen sea, far away from any inhabitated place, under the sky at the end of the polar night, is an experience that I will never forget. The beautiful colors of the sky and of the ice. The wild nature and the extreme landscape.

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Ice caving! The cave is inside...

by jarto

Ice caving! The cave is inside the glacier not far from Longyearbyen. In the pic you can see the entry where our guide lowered us down. The cave is about 10 meters down inside the glacier and it's several hundred meters long.The cave was created by melting water rushing through it. This happens every summer so the cave looks different every year. It's a long hike and takes about three hours. Unfortunately my camera didn't have a flash, so all the pictures turned very dark.

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Top 3 Hotels in Svalbard

Spitsbergen Hotel  Longyearbyen

 33 Opinions

 Hotels in Longyearbyen

Radisson Sas Polar Spitsbergen  Longyearbyen

 2 Reviews and 69 Opinions  The SAS hotel has a very central location only 100 m from the main shopping area. It has 95 rooms... 

 Hotels in Longyearbyen

Spitsbergen Guesthouse  Longyearbyen

 16 Opinions

 Hotels in Longyearbyen

The Place

Reviews and photos of Svalbard attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Svalbard sightseeing.

Experience Svalbard
 

Questions and Answers

gracegv profile photo

Q:  Me and my husband are planning our anniversary trip in Spitsbergen. We're from Mexico and want this to be the trip of a lifetime.... 

Donna_in_India profile photo

A: Hi - welcome to VT! I'd recommend staying at the Radisson. It's really nice and the restaurant is excellent. Spitsbergen Travel (www.spitsbergentravel.no/eng/) booked... 

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