18 intense days in Spitsbergen, with a lot of rare landings in remote places, far from the trodden path. Often, we went ashore where other ships just pass in miles’ distance, if they get there at all – Collinsodden, Kvedfjordbukta, Lady Franklinfjord (with all 3 landings there), Engeløya, Bjørnskaubukta … to mention just a few names, which all have in common that hardly anyone will know them. But all of them are wonderful bits of arctic nature, hardly ever stepped on by tourists. We were there! One of the highlights on our list of rare landings was Rossøya, the northernmost land in Svalbard – this time, we made it to the top!
We had great wildlife observation opportunities from bird cliffs and walrusses to polar bears, including a stunning encounter which remains unforgettable. Read more about it in the pages linked up below and in the triplog (German only, sorry) – and of course the photo galleries.
Huts are places of longing, dreams and adventure in Spitsbergen’s beautiful landscape. Even if the modern visitor’s eye may mostly be directed towards nature, most will have an open ear every now and then for exciting survival stories about explorers and expeditions, adventurers and trappers.
These huts are silent witnesses and and every one of them tells a little part of the whole story. The little book “Svalbardhytter” and the poster that is part of the same project make these fascinating places accessible for everyone.
From remote ruins, just traces in a few cases, to “famous” trapper huts such as Fredheim in Tempelfjord and Bjørneborg on Halvmåneøya, the war weather station Haudegen, the former scientific base Würzburger Hütte on Barentsøya and Hammerfesthuset, Svalbard’s oldest building.