Longyearbyen

Travel Guide Europe Svalbard Longyearbyen

Introduction

Longyearbyen is the capital of Svalbard and is located at the main island Spitsbergen. It is the one of the largest settlements this north in the world and with about 2,000 inhabitants it is not particularly small for its location. It is the administrative centre of the country, as well as the main starting point for travellers to visit the unique natural features of Svalbard. The town itself may not be of any specific interest to travellers, but the feeling of being in the place makes up for the lack in sights and activities in Longyearbyen. The place has long dark winters between November and early February but has 24 hours of daylight from May until early August. It is one of a few places in Svalbard with good facilities for travellers, other than camping or staying on (expedition) ships.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

The climate is Arctic, but somewhat tempered by the warm North Atlantic current. The average temperature ranges from -14 °C during the winter to +6 °C during the summer, with temperatures of between -20 °C and -30 °C being quite common for longer periods during the winter. The wind-chill factor normally makes it feel even colder.

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Getting There

By Plane

The only way for most travellers to get to Svalbard is via plane and flights are generally expensive if not booked long in advance. There are regular flights to and from Oslo and Tromso operated by SAS although the number of flights per week are dependent on the season. It is approximately 3 hours flight from Oslo and 1 and a half hour flight from Tromso. Starting from March 2008, Norwegian will start twice-weekly direct flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen.

There is an airport bus between the airport and Longyearbyen which is timed to coincide with flight arrivals and departures.