Longyear city svalbard

It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on the shore of Adventfjordenthe short estuary leading into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergenthe island's broadest inlet. As of Longyearbyen Community Council became an official Norwegian municipality. It is the longyear city svalbard of the Governor of Svalbard, longyear city svalbard.

North of mainland Europe , it lies about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The largest settlement is Longyearbyen on the west coast of Spitsbergen. Whalers who sailed far north in the 17th and 18th centuries used the islands as a base; subsequently the archipelago was abandoned. Coal mining started at the beginning of the 20th century, and several permanent communities such as Pyramiden or Barentsburg were established. The Svalbard Treaty established Svalbard as a free economic zone and a demilitarized zone. Research and tourism have become important supplementary industries, with the University Centre in Svalbard and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault playing critical roles in the local economy.

Longyear city svalbard

Longyearbyen is the northernmost town on the planet and the gateway to Svalbard. Its name comes from John Munroe Longyear, an American who founded Longyear City nowadays called Longyearbyen as a mining settlement in This guide covers all the information you need to plan your visit to Longyearbyen, including how to get there, where to stay, dining options, and things to see and do — all based on our experience. From its early origins as a remote mining community, today Longyearbyen would barely be recognizable to its founders. The once-thriving mining operations have disappeared, replaced by hotels, museums, bars, cafes, a supermarket, and other establishments. Only one mine remains in operation today, and its future is uncertain. Longyearbyen has shifted its main industry to tourism, also serving as the starting and ending point for all our Secret Atlas Micro Cruise Expeditions to Svalbard. There is plenty to see and do, including museums and guided tours that offer fascinating insights into Svalbard. The fastest and cheapest way to reach Longyearbyen is by plane. Longyearbyen Airport is served by two airlines, SAS and Norwegian , both offering daily flights to and from Oslo with an approximate flight duration of 3 hours.

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Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Located on top of the world, it contains endless areas of unspoilt, raw Arctic wilderness. The largest island is Spitsbergen, while the highest mountain is Newtontoppen 1, m above sea level. A visit to the High Arctic archipelago — roughly midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole — is full of contrasts and amazing nature-based experiences. The Arctic silence creates a unique atmosphere, and you will experience tranquillity that is virtually unrivalled anywhere else on earth. Majestic mountains, blue sea ice, almost never-ending glaciers and a rich animal life dominate the landscape, which changes appearance during our three main seasons ; from the colourful tundra of the Polar Summer , via the spectacular light show of the Northern Lights winter to the frozen fjords and endless snowy landscape of the Sunny Winter. Most of the residents in this tiny Arctic metropolis are Norwegians, but there are residents from around 50 other countries.

Up here in the High Arctic, the 2, residents of Longyearbyen share their home with polar bears and go without sunlight for five months of the year. I'm just back from five days in Longyearbyen, the biggest settlement on the Svalbard archipelago. Ever since I moved to Norway back in , Svalbard has been top of my bucket list. I've finally ticked it off! Having written about life in Norway for more than seven years, I've long wondered why people choose to live in such a remote, cold, and dangerous place. I had to find out for myself, so I spent five days getting to know the town and its people. Come with me as I take you on a tour of Longyearbyen and meet some of the people that make this place tick. You can watch the video I've made below, or read on for more insight and a ton of photographs. Or do both! What you'll see in the video and in the pictures on this page is what the town looks like in early March.

Longyear city svalbard

It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on the shore of Adventfjorden , the short estuary leading into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen , the island's broadest inlet. As of Longyearbyen Community Council became an official Norwegian municipality. It is the seat of the Governor of Svalbard. The town's mayor is Arild Olsen. Known as Longyear City until , the town was established by and named after American John Munro Longyear , whose Arctic Coal Company started coal-mining there in The German Kriegsmarine almost completely destroyed the town on 8 September , but rebuilding took place after the Second World War. Historically, Longyearbyen was a company town , but most mining operations moved to Sveagruva during the s, and production ceased in due to immense financial losses suffered by SNSK since due to market conditions. Svalbard Airport , Svalbard Church and the Svalbardbutikken department store serve the community. In , Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab started tours to Hotellneset.

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Archived from the original on 22 December Russian and Ukrainian population belongs to the Orthodox Church. Archived from the original on 28 January To accommodate tourists, they built a prefabricated hotel, but it was not profitable and was closed after the season. Are you thinking of visiting the northernmost inhabited town in Acta Borealia. In , Norway also announced the acquisition of six MHR helicopters which are to be initially deployed with the Coast Guard, though they are to be prepared to be equipped for anti-submarine operations as well. More than half of Svalbard is covered by glaciers. Retrieved 12 September In the airport was opened and with it a possibility of a year-round communication with the outside world. March Svalbard Ski Marathon Archived from the original on 30 December Archived from the original on 24 September Longyearbyen is the centre of tourism on the archipelago, although most tourism is generated based on natural experiences rather than visiting the town itself.

You can find the city map of Longyearbyen here. Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of Svalbard, is a tiny Norwegian metropolis with 2, residents from almost 53 different countries. The small Arctic town is inhabited by nature enthusiasts who live in close unity under tough climatic conditions with the High Arctic wilderness right on their doorstep.

They were masculine societies where the workers lived in barracks. Furthest up in the valley is Mine 2b and Nybyen , which is mostly used as student housing. Facebook Twitter Instagram. Arctic Chamber Music Festival The most fertile areas are found in the inner fjord regions of Spitsbergen. Norwegian krone NOK. In the s, the town's farm was closed and replaced by industrial liquefaction of powdered milk. Archived from the original on 8 December The food situation was especially bad in spring, before new supplies would arrive by sea with the first ship. Retrieved 20 April SJ NO Since Longyearbyen has been through drastic changes. Activities include hiking, kayaking, walks through glacier caves, and snowmobile and dog-sled safari. Report No. Maybe it seems a bit over the top to call our little town a metropolis.