a walking tour of the world’s northernmost town

Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost town, is easily seen on foot. We share our tried-and-tested route for exploring this remote outpost

It’s okay. You didn’t come all the way to Svalbard, anchored in the Arctic Ocean roughly midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole, to linger in Longyearbyen. You don’t need to “eat like a local” here or “get under the skin” of the destination. It’s just not that type of town.

There has never been an indigenous population in Svalbard. The first humans arrived on the archipelago just over 400 years ago to hunt and whale. As a result, local populations of wildlife were decimated with several species brought to the brink of extinction.

Fortunately, decades of conservation work have seen vast tracts of land protected and wildlife numbers begin to recover. As such, these days, Svalbard is mainly an outpost for Arctic research and a destination for curious tourists.

While Longyearbyen’s colourful buildings are banked by hulking mountains and two glaciers, the town is seldom described as beautiful. On a still, sunny day, under blue skies, the town can be photogenic, particularly when viewed from a distance across the water. But up close, like many remote outposts in the far north, its industrial pre-fab buildings, crumbling mining heritage and proliferation of shipping containers give it a distinctly scruffy feel. And when the clouds roll in and the sun sulks ever lower on the horizon, the town can feel distinctly bleak.

What makes Longyearbyen so alluring is not how it looks but what it promises: a gateway to a sub-polar world of remarkable wildlife and magical seascapes. The ‘Longyear Town’ is where the adventure begins.

Tourists usually arrive in Longyearbyen to either join an expedition voyage (as we did), and so only have a few hours at the bookends of their trip, or they’re using the town as a base for launching Arctic excursions such as hiking, snowmobiling, kayaking, ice-caving, dog-sledging and wildlife viewing among others.

The town is deserving of a half-day walkabout and has a handful of sites worthy of a visit, even if it’s only to grab a photo of yourself in the world’s most northerly [insert landmark here].

Is Longyearbyen really the world’s northernmost town?

Longyearbyen was named after American John Munro…