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Spitsbergen is an Arctic archipelago about 650 kilometres (400 miles) north of Norway. The archipelago ranges from Bear Island at 74° North to Rossøya at 81° North. It is by far the largest wilderness area of Europe; it covers an area of about 62,500 km², about the size of Ireland. About 60% of the land is glaciated. Since 1925 Norway has sovereignty over Spitsbergen according to the international Spitsbergen Treaty. The Norwegian name for the archipelago is Svalbard.

The name Spitsbergen was given by the Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz, who discovered the islands in 1596 during a mission to find a new sea route to the fabled land of Cathay, the Far East. The meaning of the name Spitsbergen in the Dutch language is "Jagged Peaks" because of the sharp pointed mountains that Barentsz met in the north-west of Spitsbergen. Spitsbergen, which has a population of about 3000 in 4 settlements, is still today virtually an unspoilt wilderness. Imagine a place the size of Ireland with only about 50 kilometres. (30 miles) of road.

These October Spitsbergen voyages, at the onset of winter, are ideal for observing the splendid Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

Itinerary

After arriving in Longyearbyen, the ‘capital’ (actually the administrative centre) of Spitsbergen, you may wish to visit the Svalbard Museum which has an interesting collection on the history of Spitsbergen, the mining industry and polar exploration. We stay the night in Longyearbyen.

In the early morning we sail, setting course for Alkhornet, a high cliff. Below the cliffs we often see Arctic Foxes and Reindeer. We continue to Trygghamna to visit the remains of a 17th century English whaling station and an 18th century Russian Pomor station.

We leave Tryghamna early in the early morning and pay a visit to Barentsburg, the only inhabited Russian settlement in Spitsbergen. It is interesting to experience how the miners live through the polar winter. There is for instance a swimming pool filled with heated sea water.

We sail into the inner reaches of the Isfjord system to Ekmanfjord along some beautiful glacier fronts, where during nights with open sky we will experience temperatures of minus 10 degrees C. The first new ice will be forming on the heads of the fjords.

At Kap Thordsen, we could visit the well-preserved Swedish House, built in 1872 by Nordenskiöld, where in 1872-73, 17 winterers died of lead poisoning. Same evening we arrive in Longyearbyen.

Departure by scheduled flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo.