Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen is the largest town on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago. Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island within the archipelago and makes up the mass of the western side, bordering the Arctic Ocean, Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea.

Longyearbyen is where you will find the international airport, receiving flights from Norway and it is the branching off point for most expeditions, activities and cruises to explore the surrounding Arctic wilderness.

As the administrative centre of Svalbard and because of the conditions the town is subjected to throughout the year it has a slightly harsh, industrial exterior. However, it is situated in a valley on the shores of Advenfjord, with steep snow-capped mountains and glaciers surrounding it, giving it a stunning outlook and many hotels of the region make the most of the incredible views.

With a rich history of whaling, trapping, fishing and mining, Longyearbyen was a company town until 1989, the mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen controlling most of the infrastructure and services.

Now, as well as claiming to be the world’s northernmost permanently inhabited town it is the expedition capital for exploring this remote Arctic wilderness, as well as building a reputation as a real destination for foodies. In fact, two of Norway’s best restaurants can be found in the town which has just 2,400 permanent restaurants; Huset serves traditional food in the original assembly building which dates back to 1951 and has one of the largest wine cellars in all of Scandinavia, while Funktionærmessen Restaurant introduces French inspired cuisine served with incredible Arctic views.

Another point of interest is the Global Seed Vault which is built into a mountainside close to the town. It is designed to serve as a storage facility for the duplicate samples of a wide variety of plant seeds stored in gene banks across the world (currently it holds over 1 million samples and rising). Due to its location deep in the permafrost it is kept frozen naturally in the event of a power failure and it is in an area that is geologically stable and protected from worst case scenario sea level rises. Therefore, providing protection to the sample, in theory, in all eventualities. Although it is not possible to visit inside the seed vault, local guides can take you on a tour to near the entrance.