Narrating about a full lovely experience in Svalbard is nice, but when we are talking about intense feelings, it’s so hard to expose them in a single article. So I am back with some tales from the town of Longyearbyen, the most populated settlement from the archipelago, and also the northernmost settlement with more than 1000 people in the world! Now, a small location, with only 1800 people – from the total of 2500 of the islands – but equipped with almost everything every town needs. In December – January, it is dark outside, but the immaculate white snow reflects perfectly the light, so you can see everything properly. There is an airport, a cinema, a sports hall, kultur house, supermarket, primary and secondary school, and even a hospital, mainly for absolute emergencies, mostly for teeth, and even dorm rooms for students.
In Longyearbyen, reindeer live among people!
Now, getting back to the experience. “My neighbor is a reindeer”, is written on the cover of a notebook if bought from Radisson Blu reception before leaving home. And it is true! In Longyearbyen you can find reindeer all over the place. We met three in four days! Minding their own business, and seeking for grass beneath the snow, you could approach them as much as you want, they didn’t seem to care, because they don’t see very well, also. Still, we didn’t disturb them too much, as they are quite starving in the winter time, and if they got startled and run away, the energy spent could cost them dearly, even their life, in some cases. But in Longyearbyen there really are reindeer on the streets, and it is an endemic species from Svalbard, a small one, adapted on the life there, as not too many predators are on the island, to harm them.
What about polar bears?
The last statement is somehow ironic, considering that Longyearbyen is one of the few settlements in the world were there are signs that warn against polar bears, the biggest carnivore in the world! The thing is that these guys very seldom capture a reindeer, because this animal is too fast for them. The prefer seals, as they are easier to catch and far more nutritious for the big polar bear’s needs. When going to the SvalBad, as the location is located a bit away from the city center, 2 kilometers around, in the harbor. Normally, the limit for having real chances of bumping into a polar bear is outside this zone, but pretty close by. So, while spending some quiet quality time in the sauna, for two hours, we thought we see some polar bear heads in the water, that were hunting fish.
SvalBad, a different place to be in Longyearbyen
The thing is that we were the only persons there, on a perimeter of a few miles, at least, or so it seemed. The quiet of the place made us think that bears can come and explore some opportunities in the region. Now, to reinforce my fear, the rule in Longyearbyen is that you cannot exit the perimeter, outside the “Polar Bear” warning sign without having a hired rifle or a local guide equipped with a riffle. I felt a bit vulnerable, in that solitude, darkness, and with the specter of such a big animal very close by. Everything was good, nobody disturbed our sauna experience, but when time came to leave, I opted to take cab for the 2 kilometers road. “They were birds, don’t worry”, our guide from SvalBad tried to calm me, when I brought up the polar bear heads from the water.
A discussion with the cab driver
Of course they were birds, of course: “it is very seldom to have a polar bear in Longyearbyen, in the town, actually. Not everything that is white here is a polar bear. A bear, mostly a younger cub, enters Longyearbyen maybe once per year or every two years. The danger exists, yes, but it is mostly theoretical”. This is what our cab driver told us. There are a lot of beings in Svalbard, mostly birds, reason for which no cats are allowed on the archipelago. The polar bears, though, try to stay as far as possible from humans. But for some minutes, we really thought we could have seen polar bears in the water, and that bred a very interesting sentiment.
The statues from Longyearbyen
Going back to the reindeer, they were more accessible so we photographed and admired them for some time. The first appeared in exactly our first walk in the town. You can imagine how much traffic can be in such a location, but, however, there is a main pedestrian road in the location center, one very enjoyable to walk on! Apart from tourist shops – even for guns & riffles! – you can see two important landmarks of the town: the miner’s memorial statue, in the center, was inaugurated in 1998, to honor the miners who worked in erecting the settlement during decades. Some reference here. Next to it, a green dinosaur is represented, to honor the discovery made and still studied in Svalbard: some dinosaur remains in Spitzbergen. Oh, but going back to the polar bear, the entrance in the city center it is also guarded by a statue of a polar bear, represented from 2011, outside the office of the filmmaker, Jason Robert.
Fruene and Cafe Huskies
Jumping on track again, in the city center, we have explored almost every building, at least the main ones, to understand how life there really is. And we made a pretty strong impression. The shops are not cheap, but it should be this way, considering Svalbard is surviving basically on what it produces. There are schools here, and everything you need, but there are no pension plans, no state subsidy, you just need to make it on your own. People do it, of course. So apart from the shops, there are special places, like Fruene or Cafe Huskies. I have mentioned them before, but it is always a pleasure to develop such subjects. For example, the northernmost chocolatier in the world, was a short stop for us, but enough to eat some specialties, and drink a coffee. Pretty good!
Tequila, Tycho, and Gandhi
Fruene (translated “the ladies”) was established in 2003 as a meeting place for locals, with homemade products from natural ingredients, and all the information about it can be found here. We spent few time there, because we needed to split it and to also enjoy Cafe Huskies. Here, for a coffee. And for petting the two white dogs from inside. Of course, we got our shoes off, as the custom in Longyearbyen stands. We pet Tequila, and Tycho, two superb white huskies, mother and son. While checking the Instagram profile with the owner, we learned that many more huskies can be found, in different moments, at the cafe, and Gandhi is one of them. I am mentioning him, because we have enjoyed his company in our Sarkofagen hike. The Peruvian coffee was also great, so the experience at is best. Some souvenirs at the end, a key hanger, and two post cards, summed up like another “desert”.
Post cards from Longyearbyen to Bucharest
The postcards had one specific aim: to send them from the post office to our home, and to have something directly delivered from Longyearbyen. They arrived, of course, but there was a funny thing to tell about the “shipping”. This is because it happened on 30th of December 2023, the last day when we could do it, and we ran to catch the office open, arriving only two minutes prior to the closure! We did it, and we sent the postcards. Those from Cafe Huskies! 🙂 So these are two of the landmarks you need to visit for sure in Longyearbyen, especially if you are not lucky with the museums. I mean, there are two, but both were closed in this period, for restauration, I guess. Maybe on the day light, we will be luckier.
The museums we couldn’t access
What museums? Svalbard Museum reopened on 1st of February 2024, and you can find here all the details you need to know about it, if you’ll pay there a visit before we will. Also, the North Pole Expedition Museum is a must see. Of course we didn’t enter there, as it was close, but it is good for you to know the place. Walking thru Longyearbyen, though, you discover a lot of interesting places. Hotels, restaurants, plain buildings, but their colors, and the general white decor brings a lot of good vibes. When walking thru the town, you’ll see some huge wooden pillars. I was wondering what those are, but I have found out that they consisted the “ancient” coal transporting route back in the day, when Longyearbyen was primarily a mining location, as said.
Nansen Restaurant, and some unique memories
The permanent night might forbid you to see too much details of the settlement, but for sure the ever-white of snow will charm you and even enlighten the path you are walking. Longyearbyen is a place where, for sure, you want to spend at least a fraction of your life. Everything seems and is quiet, silent, and peaceful. Big cars, but rarely used, tons of snowmobiles, and many, many of dogs, mostly huskies. A small place, but beautiful big things to offer. And to top this, let’s remind the tranquility of the New Year’s Eve, spent at Nansen of Radisson Blu Restaurant. With fine food, good prosecco, nice fire works, but with the interdiction to drink alcohol outside. Yep, the laws of Norway fully apply here. We enjoyed the night, and the 0.5 kilometer way back, accompanied by snow falls, to our accommodation. The last night of sleep in Longyearbyen, and the first one in 2024! 🙂
