The Svalbard archipelago

Located in the remote northern reaches, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, the glacial archipelago of Svalbard – literally “cold coast” – is a relatively accessible part of the polar north, encompassing a vast expanse of icebergs, pack ice, fjords and pristine Arctic wilderness. Spitsbergen, the main island of Svalbard, reveals landscapes unlike anywhere else on Earth, with white-capped mountains rising above a bleak tundra, glaciers glinting under the constant midnight sun, and brilliant blue summer skies.

Most visitors to this frozen landscape come in search of the ‘King of the North’ – the mighty polar bear. During the winter months, ice and snow blanket the archipelago, so the best time to see polar bears in Spitsbergen runs from early May to mid-September, when the ice begins to melt and opens access to the frozen north.