{"id":38626,"date":"2019-11-20T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=38626&preview=true&preview_id=38626"},"modified":"2024-09-20T23:56:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T13:56:54","slug":"longyearbyen-things-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/longyearbyen-things-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"How to spend 48 hours in Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost city"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the weirdest and most wonderful places on earth is a tiny town in the high Arctic that just 2,100 people call home. Welcome to Longyearbyen \u2013 the world\u2019s northernmost city \u2013 located on the island archipelago of Svalbard<\/a>, midway between mainland\u00a0Norway\u00a0<\/a>and the North Pole.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The locals walk around with rifles; polar bears outnumber humans here, and everyone leaves their front doors and cars\u00a0 unlocked, just in case someone needs to run inside to avoid an encounter. Being in a place where, during winter, the sun doesn\u2019t rise above the horizon for four months and there\u2019s continuous daylight for nearly six months in the summer, is both bizarre and fascinating. Longyearbyen literally translates to ‘the longest year’\u00a0\u2013 with good reason.<\/p>\n

WANT TO VISIT LONGYEARBYEN? CHECK OUT OUR TRIPS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Ask anyone who calls this Arctic city home why they live here and you’ll generally hear the same responses: they’re doing some kind of scientific research, making a living as an outdoor adventure guide, working in tourism, or studying to become one of the above at the\u00a0University Centre in Svalbard. Here, geologists, biologists, oceanographers, and naturalists rub shoulders with extreme skiers, kayakers, dogsledders, and of course the 150,000+ tourists who come through each year, mostly on short stopovers before setting sail on an Arctic expedition cruise around Svalbard and Jan Mayen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on an Arctic expedition that sets sail or disembarks in Longyearbyen (like this one, where you\u00a0Explore Spitsbergen via the Faroes and Jan Mayen)<\/a>\u00a0don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking Longyearbyen is simply a launchpoint for your cruise; spend some time exploring this old mining town and getting active in the surrounding wilderness.<\/p>\n

Hike up a glacier<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Hikers

Hiking to Trollstienen.<\/p><\/div>\n

The best way to truly experience the magic of the Arctic is to get right to the heart of it. The\u00a0hike up to Trollstienen<\/a>\u00a0(translation: Troll Rock) is one you\u2019ll never forget, thanks to panoramic views across the valley of Adventdalen, where glaciers and avalanches have carved out layers into the mountainside. Hire a guide and dress accordingly in full waterproof gear (don\u2019t ignore this tip; even during the peak of summer you\u2019ll be knee-deep in snow at parts). Starting from Longyearbyen\u2019s highest point, Nyben, the challenging trail begins with traversing rocky terrain and crossing small rivers. From there, it\u2019s an uphill climb across varied terrain; one hour you\u2019ll be walking across a flat, snow-covered plateau along the moraine with a seemingly endless white landscape, and the next you\u2019ll be crawling uphill to the top of the Lars glacier towards the huge rock tower at the summit. Make sure you rub the rock for luck when you get there!<\/p>\n

JOIN US ON AN ARCTIC EXPEDITION \u2013 EXPLORE OUR RANGE OF ADVENTURES HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Go on an ATV tour<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Two

Watching out for bears.<\/p><\/div>\n

Gear up in full wind- and mud-proof dry suits, helmets and ski masks, and hop on your ATV with a guide<\/a> who’ll take you on an adventurous drive outside town. Looking like the Michelin man in your dry suit is par for the harsh weather conditions that can change with a moment\u2019s notice \u2013 you\u2019ll be glad to be warm inside it when you\u2019re covered in mud at the end of the day!<\/p>\n

\"A

Warming up with some hot blackcurrant juice.<\/p><\/div>\n

Throughout the day, you\u2019ll pass private little wooden cabins, the town\u2019s original airport \u2013 where workers once wore headlamps to guide planes landing on the makeshift runway (blink and you\u2019ll miss it)\u00a0\u2013 and the famed polar bear crossing sign marking your entry into an area where rifles are mandatory. You\u2019ll rip through the barren, beautiful landscapes, make stops at old coal mines (there\u2019s one that\u2019s still active), and warm up with cookies, coffee or hot blackcurrant juice (a Norwegian favourite) at a stop overlooking Isfjorden and Adventdalen.<\/p>\n

RELATED: WHAT IT’S LIKE COMING FACE-TO-FACE WITH A POLAR BEAR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Two

Meeting some of the friendly local sled dogs.<\/p><\/div>\n

A notable stop is Svalbard Husky,\u00a0<\/a>one of the biggest dog sledding operations\u00a0where you can play with and feed the dogs. If you\u2019re feeling brave, book a sledding experience. You’ll sled across the snow in winter, and on wooden wagons across dirt roads in summer.<\/p>\n

Explore Longyearbyen’s downtown area<\/h3>\n

Downtown is full of shops where you can load up on outdoor gear, relax in cozy wine and whiskey bars, explore the\u00a0Svalbard Museum<\/a> \u2013 which focusses on the history of Svalbard, Arctic wildlife, and climate change\u00a0\u2013 and eat in restaurants highlighting Arctic cuisine. Though bright and colourful in the summer, Longyearbyen has an eerie, almost magical feeling that it could be packed up at any moment. Thanks to its extreme geographical location, the town is essentially built on stilts drilled deep into the permafrost.<\/p>\n

RELATED: WHAT TO EXPECT ON AN ARCTIC EXPEDITION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Visit the world\u2019s northernmost craft brewery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"A

Enjoying a hard-earned beer after a day of adventure.<\/p><\/div>\n

What better reason to head to the world\u2019s northernmost town than to drink beer brewed with meltwater from 2000-year-old glaciers? Robert Johansen, the owner of\u00a0Svalbard Bryggeri<\/a>,\u00a0 is a former coal miner and pilot who fought for over five years to change the alcohol laws on Svalbard. In 1928, laws were set prohibiting the production of alcohol, mostly to decrease consumption in the male-dominated mining society. In 2014, Johansen had the law changed, and is now crewing unpasteurized, unfiltered, delicious beer that you\u2019ll only<\/em> find in Norway.\u00a0Book a tasting<\/a>\u00a0to hear the story behind the brewery, taste their seven staple beers, and learn all about the process of beer-making in one of the most remote places on earth.<\/p>\n

Want to know more about Longyearbyen? Here are a few interesting facts!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"An

One of Longyearbyen\u2019s unusual alcohol cards.<\/p><\/div>\n