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Longyearbyen, Svalbard

Travel and Tourist Information

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ABOVE: Apartment houses near the Spitsbergen Hotel in Longyearbyen. INSET BELOW: The Svalbard archipelago has more polar bears than people.

photoLongyearbyen is the administrative center of Svalbard, an Arctic territory governed by Norway whose largest island--Spitsbergen--is a haven for nature lovers, Arctic researchers, wilderness trekkers, reindeer, and polar bears.

Longyearbyen is also the world's northernmost municipality, with a population of 1,900 and more amenities than you might expect in such a remote location. (One of the local pubs claims to have the world's third-largest collection of spirits.) Scientists, tourist guides, miners, administrators, and other residents come from more than 30 countries, and though Norwegian is the official language, English is widely understood.

In the following pages, you'll find practical information and photos to help you plan your visit to Longyearbyen and Svalbard, a region that has been described as "an oasis in a world of ice."

Next page: Location and history


Longyearbyen tourist information:
Introduction
History, background
Sights, excursions
Cruises, boat trips
Hotels, guesthouses, camping
Restaurants
Shopping
Arrival and departure
Planning tips, Web links
Photos with captions

Related articles:
Bird Cliffs of Spitsbergen - Fuglefjellet boat trip
Hurtigruten Arctic adventure cruise

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo.Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.