Guideline Type: Site specific

• Sundneset

  Whether you land on the eastern or the western side of Sundneset, the area will strike you as welcoming for walks. And it is. Walk to get a view of the freshwater-ponds that also attract birds, or head for the hill east of Sundbukta, for a nice view of the bay. But as you walk, allow time to look at the many whale bones scattered in the area. They are several thousand years old and remain from a time when the shoreline looked quite different.

• Kapp Lee – Dolerittneset

  The returned walrus resting at the beach, Stretehamna, may at first glance be the largest attraction by Kapp Lee and Dolerittneset. But the area offers much more. From early historical walrus slaughtering, cultural remains bring you through history up to present scientific projects, everything surrounded by a beautiful landscape.

• Andréetangen

  Henry Rudy found the perfect spot for his trapper cabin as Petter Trondsen had done before him. Already as you approach Andréetangen the beauty of this site catches your eyes. Today walrus occupy the beach, often in different groups. Sometimes they surround the cabin. From the ridges behind there is a nice view of Bjørnbukta and its birdlife.

• Fuglehuken

  At Fuglehuken you are part of an exclusive group to have visited this site. Situated at the very northern tip of Prins Karls Forland, Fuglehuken is characterized by steep mountains with bird cliffs, rich vegetation and numerous cultural remains. The coastline is dented with bays where you can get ashore – however they are all quite exposed to swells from the Arctic Ocean.

• Smeerenburg

  ”Blubber town” was the main base for Dutch whaling in the first half of the 1600s. The blubber produced oil for lighting, paint, soap and other products in demand, in the increasingly-expanding urban Europe. Contrary to the myth of 20 000 inhabitants and a hectic party-life in Smeerenburg, the reality was 200 hard-working men in a growing oil industry at almost 80° North.

• Ytre Norskøya

  For the whalers, catching sight of the whales as early as possible was of utmost importance. The important “spotters” were positioned in lookouts with good views of the ocean. While waiting they enjoyed their clay pipes and wine. When the first whalers arrived in 1611, the waters were “boiling” with whales. About 200 years later the big whales in the north were almost exterminated. Today visitors can walk on the old whalers` paths to enjoy the sight from this last point of land before the North Pole.

• Sallyhamna

  Sallyhamna ticked off all the needs for the earliest whalers. Some of the best preserved cultural heritage from the hey-days of bowhead whaling of the 17th Century are found here. Visitors will leave the place with a vivid imagination of the hardships of flensing the whale, rendering down blubber to oil and preparing the barreled oil for shipment to mainland Europe.

• Crozierpynten

  Swedish scientists did more than contribute to the knowledge about the shape of the world. Piles of broken glass from hundreds of bottles are signs showing that harsh conditions and remoteness did not preclude enjoying good port wine.

• Chermsideøya

  Since time immemorial we have marked our presence. On a headland covered in gravel, several names of ships and men have been written with stones, all telling different stories.

• Isflakbukta

  Together with six other islands, Phippsøya is the northernmost group of islands in Svalbard. Nothing lies between here and the top of the world. Many have been attracted by this outpost and some have left signs of their visits with their names added to the map. The largest of the Seven Islands is named after Constantine John Phipps, Friedrich Martens and Sir William Parry. Isflakbukta is located on Phippsøya.

• Nordre Russøya

  This unique Russian Orthodox cross was erected to elicit protection from higher powers, to bring luck in trapping, to mark territories and graves and serve as navigational markers. These large wooden crosses were once raised in numerous places along the coasts of Svalbard, but today only the bases of the crosses remain. The exception are the two crosses still standing in Murchinsonfjorden, the one here at Nordre Russøya and one other at Krossøya.

• Eolusneset

  The graves at Eolusneset lie as silent monuments to the international whaling that took place in Svalbard 300-400 years ago. They tell a story of a risky workplace from a time when the whalers mastered the arctic sea and coast. Prepared for death they stocked their ships with materials for coffins on their northbound journeys.

• London

  An enterprising and charming Englishman created a lot of enthusiasm when he claimed to have found an entire island of marble. Money was quickly in place and industrial equipment bought and shipped to Blomstrandhalvøya. The marble was beautiful while left in the ground, but during transportation it crumbled to pieces. The pipe dream was demolished.

• Fjortende Julibukta

  Very few places near 79° North can offer more opulent vegetation than this very special site. Here you can enjoy the rich diversity and colors of Arctic vegetation and nice smells at close range. The bay close to the glacier offers one of the most beautiful beaches in the Arctic. The water temperature may not be impressive but the view is!

• Signehamna

  Weather information can make the difference of a battle lost or won. In World War II German generals realized the value of weather data in the North Atlantic and established weather stations in Svalbard from 1941. In the beautiful surroundings of Signehamna, men overwintered and sent daily weather data to the German military. In 1943, Norwegian forces bombed and burnt the Signehamna station.

• Alkhornet / Trygghamna

  The characteristic landmark, Alkhornet, has been welcomed by sailors in Isfjorden for centuries. While many only have the chance to admire the sight from a distance, those who land have the opportunity to experience an oasis. Rich vegetation, abundant fauna and diverse cultural remains are within walking distance from the sheltered harbor in Trygghamna.

• Gåshamna

  During the large Russian Arc of Meridian Expedition in 1899-1900, the scientists were making trigonometric measurements in Gåshamna and made what was considered a sensational discovery of the time. The scientists worked over large areas, measuring the distance between latitudes and determined the earth was flattened at the Poles.

• Gnålodden

  The female hunter and trapper Wanny Woldstad was tougher than most males. Below the steep and very noisy bird cliff she stayed in one of her hunting cabins. The cabin stands as a monument over toil and self-denial. Her nearest neighbors were the remains of a Russian trapping station and a grave of a 17th century whaler.

• Ahlstrandhalvøya

  This is one of the most favorable and productive climatic regions for plants at Svalbard. Within the range of a short walk, several of the most typical of Svalbard vegetation types can be observed, including saxifrage heath, wetland, grassland, moss heath, along with exposed ridges of vegetation.

• Gåsbergkilen

  This place is full of life, but it is also quite sensitive so set your foot gently and pay special attention to the guidelines. Through thousands of years of accumulated guano from the bird cliff, this area developed a thick peat, which is now the bed for very lush plant-life. The bird cliff is full of life all through the summer. Over it flies the glaucous gull, searching for food. Arctic fox are often seen under the cliff in search of prey.