2 months, 62 days, 1488 hours, 89280 minutes, 5356800 seconds. This is the amount of time that I…
Times visited: 1
Towns and villages visited: Longyearbyen and Barentsburg
I’ve always been drawn to remote and isolated destinations, so it’s no surprise that Svalbard had long been at the top of my travel wishlist. Naturally, I had to include this Arctic archipelago in my very first solo journey through northern Europe in spring 2015. It ended up being the most expensive part of the trip – I spent half of my two-month budget on just six days there – but it was so worth it.
I based myself in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on the islands, where I managed to find a Couchsurfing host who offered me a place for half the cost of the cheapest hotel (even though Couchsurfing is technically meant to be free 😅). I spent just one full day exploring the city itself, visiting the fascinating local museum and wandering around the remains of old mining operations. The rest of my time was packed with day trips and adventures. I went dog sledding in Bolterdalen. I joined a boat tour to the Russian outpost of Barentsburg. I explored a surreal ice cave inside a glacier. I met the Svalbard’s iconic short-legged Arctic reindeer. I even went snowshoeing up a mountain, surrounded by pristine landscapes.
On my final night, something magical happened – the season of the Midnight Sun began. I stayed up past midnight to witness the sun touch the horizon and then immediately begin to rise again. It was a surreal moment that felt like the perfect finale to what had been an incredible Arctic adventure.