Longyearbyen

Getting there

Flights with Norwegian Air and SAS run regularly (approx 3 times a week) from Oslo throughout the year. In peak season (March-August) the number of flights increases. There are also direct options on certain days from Tromso and the options from the UK are set to increase in the coming months making travel here even easier.

Climate

The climate in Svalbard is a direct result of it’s northerly lattitude – between 74 and 81 degrees North. It is sub-polar along the west coast but polar on the east where the temperature remains at zero even in the summer. The polar ice in the winter reaches the North and east coasts of the islands leaving the western coast free. There is a chance of wind throughout the year but it calms a little between June and August.

Geography

In inland areas there are some mountains that are snow-covered all year round, from which glaciers descend and flow to the sea. The highest peak, Newtontoppen, reaches 1,713 metres (5,620 feet). Skiing is possible in the Summer too. The northernmost tip of Svalbard is only 1000 kilometres (600 miles) away from the North Pole. Being well beyond the Arctic Circle, in Svalbard the sun never sets for a long period and from the 20th of April to the 25th of August it is the Midnight Sun. The Polar night by comparison is dark and the sun does not rise from late October to mid-February. The long polar night, however, can be lit by the Aurora Borealis!

Plants and Animals

The islands regular visitors are polar bears, whales and seals, as well as the millions of migratory birds that pass in summer so this is a nature lovers paradise!