Longyearbyen, Svalbard
“I am pretty wildly excited about this. I stared for years at something named ‘Spitsbergen’ on the map of the world shower curtain we had in Denver. Now it is more commonly known as ‘Svalbard’ and that is today’s destination,” it says in my May 30,2022 journal. Spitsbergen was the name chosen by Dutch navigator William Barentsz in June, 1596, when he stumbled across this high-Arctic archipelago while seeking the Northwest Passage. (Spoiler alert: the Vikings actually found it in 1194.) “Spitsbergen” translates to “rugged mountain peaks,” which offers a concept of what the place looks like. When the Norwegian government gained sovereignty over the area resting 400 miles out to sea northwest of the mainland after World War I, they called it Svalbard (the main island is still called Spitsbergen).
Mary Ann's Polarrigg Hotel
I can still see it in my mind’s eye, how during every long-ago shower, a small, intriguing dot floated at eye level, far from the other landmasses, hovering beside me. I vowed to go there someday. And then, some 426 years after Barentsz and 828 years after the Vikings, my own 44-year dream finally came true.
I liked Mary Ann's bathroom decor!
Known for having more snow machines (snowmobiles) than automobiles, Svalbard’s capital town of Longyearbyen (pop. 2400 in 2019) is at the latitude of 78 degrees North, making it the northernmost community of greater than 1,000 inhabitants in the world. In 1920, American industrialist John Munro Longyear, the town’s namesake from Lansing, Michigan, 45 miles from where I live (!), established a coal mining operation that has continued under different owners. It is winding down now, but the tourist trade is on fire (an effort in 1896 to establish the tourist trade mostly fizzled). Nowadays, the original Svalbard explorers, whalers, trappers, miners, and other uber-rugged people have yielded to people (like me) just there to see the place.
View of Longyearbyen from upvalley
Longyearbyen and part of the port area
Upon arrival, I took the brief 5-mile ride on the airport bus into Longyearbyen. It’s the law to stay within the town’s perimeter unless you are carrying a flare gun and rifle. Polar bears, you know. (We saw none in or nearby the town, but stay tuned: the next blog is all about polar bears!) My historic hotel, Mary Ann’s Polarrigg—formerly a barracks for coal miners—was the first stop. My single room was sparse and compact (much like a train compartment) and bathrooms were shared, but the vibe of the place was friendly and fun, and the breakfast was outstanding.
For a small place, Longyearbyen has a lot to offer. The first day, I got in 13,084 steps, walking the perimeter road and seeing the tiny church, the remains of in-town mining operations, a cemetery, the rushing spring river, nesting geese, snow buntings (which had just arrived with their joyful birdsongs), and browsing the shops of the one main street. At the Huskie Café, I discovered splendid tea, an outrageously delicious chocolate chip cookie, and a much-needed dog fix. At the ample Svalbardbutikken (butt-kickin’? No, really, it properly sounds more like “boutique-en”) there is all manner of food and supplies. An hour or two passed by at the excellent Svalbard Museum.
Longyearbyen had to be completely rebuilt after World War II, because the German Kriegsmarine sent two battleships and nine destroyers to bombard it in September 1943. Only the hospital, the power station, an office building, and a residential building survived the attack. The town (plus the other handful of populated outposts in Svalbard) was evacuated and empty for the duration of the war. [Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longyearbyen] Now, its architecture focuses on protecting the permafrost and guarding against avalanches and the frigid, long months of winter (which, interestingly, is high-tourist season for the skiing and dog-sledding). The buildings are mostly practical and sturdy. Throughout town, it is customary to remove one’s shoes upon entering—a holdover from the mud and coal dust of the mining days.
After 11 days on our journey of exploration by ship (stay tuned for upcoming blogs!), I had one more day to explore Longyearbyen from yet another historic hotel, the Funken Lodge. Of course, a return to the Huskie café was on the agenda. I also had a summer-time version of a dogsled ride—sort of a must-do activity, really. The team of 12 dogs happily pulled four guests and the musher in a wagon. And it gave me time to explore the town’s other museum, the North Pole Expedition Museum.
The Funken Lodge
As my time wound down, I felt a little melancholy. I wondered if I’d ever be in Svalbard again? Maybe. As we drove to the airport, I wrote later, “the fjorden was misty, the day cloudy, light grey. It felt as if this whole magical place was on a slow fade. I could look across the water with different eyes from those that landed here 12 days ago—eyes that knew the landscape better, the air, the light, the feel of the breeze. The memory is captivating, and I will have to find the right words to write about it.”
Summer time Dogsledding
