Micro guide to Svalbard
“I felt like I was part of a Discovery Channel programme. What you see and experience is beyond your wildest imagination.”
— Annie, Secret Atlas guest in Svalbard
Lives are changed, renewed, and reignited in Svalbard. You don’t just stumble across this place. It’s the furthest north most will ever reach. Yet, within as little as a week, you can fully immerse yourself in scenes worthy of the best-ever nature documentaries.
Svalbard in a nutshell
The last stop before the North Pole, Svalbard is the realm of the mighty polar bear, a high-drama wilderness of sweeping fjords, gigantic glaciers, and crooked mountains, bathed in the midnight sun during summer and sung to sleep by the northern lights in the unending night of winter.
Teeming with wildlife and rugged landscapes, Svalbard unveils scenes so varied and stunning you’ll find yourself wondering if such contrasts could truly coexist on a single island. Offering the very best of the Arctic, Svalbard packs it all into one destination you can explore even with limited time.
Your visit to Svalbard
Best Time To Visit Svalbard
Best Time To Visit Svalbard
10 Places in Svalbard You Can Visit
10 Places in Svalbard You Can Visit
Longyearbyen Travel Guide
Culture and history micro guides
Svalbard is at the heart of the history of Arctic exploration – and the plundering of its natural resources tells its own tale, written across the archipelago’s landscape.
Svalbard historical timeline
Willem Barents discovers Svalbard
In 1596, Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers Svalbard while searching for the Northeast Passage, naming it Spitsbergen for its jagged peaks. Though he never finds the passage, his expeditions expand Europe's Arctic knowledge, and his legacy lives on in the Barents Sea and the history of polar exploration.
Fridtjof Nansen: The Fram expedition
In 1893, Fridtjof Nansen launches the Fram expedition to explore the Arctic Ocean, proving that polar drift could carry a ship across the ice. Though he leaves the vessel to attempt a North Pole trek, Fram successfully returns via Svalbard, cementing its legacy as one of history’s greatest polar exploration ships.
Salomon August Andrée's balloon expedition
Swedish explorer Salomon August Andrée launches an ill-fated attempt to reach the North Pole by hydrogen balloon from Svalbard. The expedition disappears, and the remains are only discovered in 1930.
Amudsen and Nobile's airship flight over the North Pole
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and Italian engineer Umberto Nobile successfully fly over the North Pole from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, aboard the airship Norge, marking a milestone in polar aviation.
Aleksandr Kuznetsov: First aircraft landing at the North Pole and Arctic exploration
In 1948, Soviet explorer Aleksandr Kuznetsov leads the first confirmed aircraft landing at the geographic North Pole, marking a major milestone in Arctic exploration. His mission contributes to Soviet mapping and reconnaissance efforts, which extend over Svalbard and the High Arctic, reinforcing the region's strategic and scientific significance during the Cold War.
Wildlife and nature micro guides
A Guide to Arctic Wildlife Watching
A Guide to Arctic Wildlife Watching
Polar Bears in Svalbard
Polar Bears in Svalbard
Birds of Svalbard
Birds of Svalbard
We use cookies to provide a better online experience. Please let us know if you agree to them. You can read our Privacy Policy for more information.
Join the Secret Atlas newsletter
We will be exclusively sharing with you our best-kept secrets. You'll receive first-hand expert advice and inspiring stories from our team of explorers, plus our latest news and offers.
We'll send no more than two emails per week. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy.
Download your brochure
Just enter a few details to receive your brochure.