Sightseeing in Longyearbyen

03/04/1999

Hikes in Longyearbyen, before descending into a cave under a glacier for an ice cave excursion. Visit to a coal mine (where it wasn't permitted to take pictures). Longyearbyen is the main gateway to Svalbard and the administration centre of the islands.

Flying over Spitzbergen, the main island of the Svalbard archipelago, where the "capital" Longyearbyen is located. Here we are flying over Svea at about 9000 feet of altitude, approaching Svalbard Longyear airport on runway 28.

The town of Longyearbyen is very nice and based on quite small, colorful buildings.

Other views from Longyearbyen.

Above: the snowmobiles are parked outside the buildings, near (few) cars. On the left: one of the main street of Longyearbyen.

Nybyen is newest and the sothernmost suburb of Longyearbyen, and it was built because of the nearby mines (left picture).

The nice panorama of mountains and frozen sea around the town.

On the left: the UNIS (University of Svalbard). On the right: the Svalbard Polar Hotel (today, Radisson Sas).

A few minutes away from the town, there is a fantastic jewel: a cave under a glacier, going inside the mountain. Above: the ladder used to enter the caves.

Moving between the frozen tunnels isn't very easy, anyway the view is really amazing and made of bizzare shapes of ice and ice crystals.

The water that enters the cave on summertime, creates nice sculptures on the walls of the tunnels. This is a very nice excursion from Longyearbyen.

Other nice sculptures hanging from the roof.

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