| Svalbard is famous for its big population of polar | | | | Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen is an old miners town |
| bears. It is also famous for its wild arctic scenery and | | | | and survive now mostly from the tourists coming |
| beautiful landscape with many seabirds, seals, | | | | mainly in summer but also during the dark months of |
| walruses, and other marine mammals. For good | | | | the year. Some mining is still going on in Svalbard. |
| reasons a number of impressive photo books have | | | | Much of Svalbard is still virgin countryside and in fact |
| been published about Svalbard, but only few tourists | | | | strictly preserved. The Svalbard Archipelago and its |
| come to Svalbard. | | | | surrounding fjords and Arctic Sea are a paradise for |
| How to go to Svalbard? | | | | photographers and nature lovers. I took some very |
| Tourists to Svalbard go by boat (cruise ships) or by | | | | fine photos and enjoyed perfect weather conditions. |
| plane. I only have experience with travelling by plane | | | | It is amazing to enjoy the sun not only in daytime |
| which is a convenient flight from Oslo. Since Svalbard | | | | but also during the night in midsummer. It may be a |
| is part of Norway and thus part of the Scandinavian | | | | challenge to sleep, but that is a small sacrifice for |
| cooperation it is possible to use bonus tickets from | | | | enjoying the arctic magic. |
| Scandinavian Airlines to fly the long distance from | | | | Wildlife in Svalbard |
| another Scandinavian country. | | | | Living conditions in the arctic are tough. Only few |
| A number of cruise ships go around the Svalbard | | | | species are able to live in Svalbard, but some like the |
| islands or just make a shorter stop on the way from | | | | seabirds live here in huge numbers. |
| Norway. | | | | It can be very exciting as a visitor to Svalbard to |
| In general, I can recommend boat trips in Svalbard as | | | | take photos of all this teaming wildlife during the |
| the countryside is rather difficult to travel and you | | | | short but hectic months of the arctic summer. Arctic |
| need plenty of time. But some visitors spend weeks | | | | terns, sandpipers, eiders and skuas nest just in middle |
| enjoying the spectacular landscape and seascape. | | | | of the town with wildlife very close when you stay in |
| Longyearbyen in Svalbard | | | | Svalbard. |
| We spent some days in the main town | | | | |