Svalbard Islands: trip to the North Pole

It’s hard to believe, but 65 million years ago, Svalbard Islands were covered by tropical forests.

The North Pole is one of those historic, fascinating and legendary places.
It’s the extreme, hard-to-reach nature of it that makes it so fascinating.
This is particulary the case in terms of cost, but with a few adjustments and a dash of good fortune, you can find the right opportunity.

I had the idea for this trip one day in May. I’d already planned to go to some other places, but the prices had gone up a lot, so I had to put them off until later.
It was time to go to the North Pole. But where is the North Pole?
The Svalbard Islands are not visible from the globe, because they’re covered by the Earth’s axis.

I immediately said I hadn’t reached the exact point, but I had arrived a few hundred miles away, which is as far as people can go.

HOW TO GET

Svalbard Islands are technically part of Norway, but they’re outside the Schengen area so you’ll need a passport to come here.
You can fly there from Oslo or Tromso.
There are also cruises that connect Svalbard to Norway, Iceland and Greenland.

HOW TO MOVE

Longyearbyen is the most populated city in Svalbard, with just over 2,000 residents.

The guides always have a rifle with them and know how to use it.
They know that killing the bear is a last resort and that even those who scare it without a real need risk a fine.
The doors to the houses are usually open to allow quick access at any time.

It’s possible to see every place in Longyearbyen in two days, but if you’re only going to Svalbard for a few hours, it’s just to say you’ve been there.
If you’re looking for the best way to experience this part of the Arctic, a 5-day cruise on the Hurtigruten postal ship is a great option.

As an islander, I’ve always seen ships as a mean of transport to reach “th continent”, as we call it in Sardinia.
My style of travelling is very different. I don’t view a ship as a comfortable hotel or restaurant where you spend most of your time. I also don’t see the port cities as just a secondary interlude between a meal, a dance, a karaoke song, a dip in the swimming pool and a well-deserved rest at the end of the day.
But Hurtigruten is not like that. In fact, quite the opposite.

A sailing trip in the Arctic on the historic MS Nordstjernen, built in 1956, makes the journey to the North Pole even more fascinating.
This ship isn’t just a cruise, it’s a proper Arctic expedition.
You can leave the ship by catwalk or zodiac to explore semi-abandoned Soviet cities, glaciers, beaches where you can swim in the icy water, and scientific stations.

It’s also likely that there are scientists among the passengers who are studying climate change and would be happy to share their insights on this topic.

WHERE TO GO

LONGYEARBYEN

If Ushuaia in Argentina is the southernmost city in the world, Longyearbyen, with just over 2,000 inhabitants, is the northernmost city in the world.

It’s easy to get around the city, but it’s essential to always be careful and not to leave the town.
The risk of encountering polar bears in the wild is real.
The road signs are not just a formality or a folklore fun.

From here, all the daily tours and polar expeditions leave.
They will take you over the 80th parallel north or circumnavigate the archipelago in several days.
[Read the full article]

PYRAMIDA

One of the most popular day trips from Longyearbyen is to the city of Pyramida, which was an important Soviet settlement in Svalbard.
In fact, up to 2,500 people live here, mainly working in the mining industry.
It’s still a Russian territory today, so you can visit the various buildings with a Russian guide.
You can still see Lenin‘s statue on some of the streets of the city.

I remember this tour with great emotion because, in the huge Nordenskiöldbree glaciar in front of the city, I saw polar bears, and in the nearby waters, lots of belugas appeared.
[Read the full article]

BARENTSBURG

You can get there by snowmobile in the winter, and it’s the first stop for the Hurtigruten expeditions or one of the daily tours that leave from Longyearbyen in the summer.
Barentsburg (in Russian Баренцбург) is the last mining settlement dating back to the Soviet era still operating in the Svalbard Islands. It has a great geopolitical importance.

There are still around 450 Russian citizens living here, mainly working in the mines of the Russian state company Arktickugol.
Tourism is another important source of income. As well as a quick visit, you can also stay in a hotel or hostel.
[Read the full article]

NY-ÅLESUND

The Svalbard Islands have a lot in common with Antarctica.
They’re both places where some international scientific research is focused.
The town of Ny-Ålesund is home to research bases where scientists from all over the world study climate change and its effects.

This place is also associated with the first historical expeditions to the North Pole.
From here, on 11 May 1926, the Norge airship with Umberto Nobile in command and his dog fox terrier Titina, along with Norwegian Roald Amundsen, a crew of six Italians and seven Norwegians, American financier Lincoln Ellsworth and the Swedish meteorologist Finn Malmgren realized the first-ever overflight of the North Pole.
After the success of this first expedition, the subsequent ones ended in tragedy.
[Read the full article]

About this history, I’d also suggest visiting the North Pole Expedition Museum in Longyearbyen.
The museum has some great original videos and documents that explain the history of expeditions to the North Pole.

CLIMATE AND CURIOSITY

THE MIDNIGHT SUN

From 19 April to 23 August, the sun is up 24 hours a day. This is the famous “midnight sun”.
I’ve been to the Svalbard Islands in August and it was certainly a special experience.

When I tell people about the 24-hour sun, they ask me “how did you sleep?”
I have never considered travel as the time of year to rest.
I think it might be the time of year when I’m most tired because I try to do and see everything.
I use the rest of the year to recharge my batteries and plan my next trip.

During my days in Longyearbyen I just closed the curtains in my room and slept normally.
During the 5 days I spent sailing with Hurtigruten I only managed to get three or four hours’ sleep a day.
I was here to see the Arctic landscapes and polar bears.
I’d never forgive myself if I missed something because I was sleeping.

THE POLAR NIGHT

If there’s always a sunrise after a sunset, the long polar night contrasts to the phenomenon of the “midnight sun”.
From November 14 to January 29, the sun is at least 6 degrees below the horizon, which is officially considered the polar night.
In reality, though, you can’t see the sun from 26 October to 8 March.

It’s just the cycle of nature at this latitude.
It’s difficult to imagine for those who haven’t experienced it.
It’s difficult to live here for those who don’t grow up in the area.

RATED ALCOHOL

Because of the strong alcohol problem, especially during the winter months, alcohol is rationed.
Each month, residents can buy a maximum of two litres of spirits and 24 cans of beer at the supermarket.
Each purchase is noted on the personal card and non-residents must show their return flight ticket.

IMPOSSIBLE TO BORN AND TO DIE

You can’t be born here.
The hospital doesn’t have the facilities for pregnant women, so they have to go to Tromso three weeks before the birth.

And you can’t even die.
The Arctic climate stops bodies decomposition and lets viruses survive.
It was noticed in the 1930s, with the resumption of the bodies of some victims of the terrible Spanish influence.
Since then, there hasn’t been a cemetery at Svalbard.
Older people are forced to spend the last years of their lives away from here.
Longyearbyen is precisely called the city where one can’t die.