Roaming Rogue

After a very sleepless night, it was time for the main highlight of the trip: Longyearbyen, Svalbard. This city has been at the top of my wish list of places to visit for years. A little over five years prior, I visited the southernmost city in the world: Ushuaia, Argentina. I had an incredible experience there, one that was surreal in the isolation between towering, snow-capped mountains, and icy Antarctic oceans. Finally after years of research and nerves about pulling the trigger, I would be living out one of my dreams to experience its northernmost cousin, Longyearbyen. At only 800 miles from the North Pole, it is the northernmost city in the entire world, known for its harsh weather, dark winters, and arctic wildlife like polar bears.

Our flight to Longyearbyen started off early, saying goodbye to Oslo before the sun was even up. The total travel time from Oslo to Longyearbyen was roughly five hours, with a quick layover in Tromso. The interesting part of the flight is that it technically was a “direct” flight from Oslo (even the screens at the airport had Longyearbyen listed as the destination), but because Svalbard (the region Longyearbyen is in) is not part of the Schengen Area, you have to stop before entry for passport check. While a very few people left the flight in Tromso as their final destination, the bulk of us continued on through to Longyearbyen.

Tromso was a small airport, but I would definitely visit the city at some point. The scenery looked spectacular. The passport check was quick and painless, and before we knew it, we were back on the plane in the same seats as before, and on our way to Longyearbyen.

After a relatively short flight, we arrived at Longyearbyen. We happened to arrive while they were having the first snow of the season, which only added to the arctic feel of the visit. Stepping off of the plane and onto the tarmac, we were surrounded by mountains covered in snow, with a crisp arctic breeze and snowflakes surrounding us. We couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate arrival.

The airport itself is extremely small, with one baggage claim belt. What was nice is that given the size of the city, they recommend taking a bus from the airport to the city center, which most of us did. The buses are timed with the flights, so within a matter of minutes from landing, we were onboard the bus and on our way to the hotel.

There are not many hotel options in Longyearbyen, but one of the more interesting parts of the bus ride was getting to see everyone get dropped off at their hotels and compare the different stays. Some were more (slightly) centrally located, while others were off the beaten path. We decided to stay at the Funken Lodge, which was recommended in many guides for its hospitality and design, though it was a bit outside of the city center. (I say this very lightly, given how small the city actually is.)

The hotel itself sits up on a hill at the foot of a mountain, with breathtaking views of the city and surrounding mountain ranges. Originally built in 1946 for barracks, it was rebuilt in 1953 after an avalanche flattened most of the buildings and the reception. After several decades of use, the buildings were purchased by a travel agency and renovated for use as a hotel for tourists. It was further renovated in 2017 to the luxury hotel that it is today.

Upon entering the hotel, we were welcomed to a warm, cozy atmosphere, with rooms full of dark, earthy tones, couches in soft, plush velvets, and dim lighting. You instantly felt warmer and cozy after stepping inside. Following a local tradition, everyone entering is asked to take off their shoes, place them in a locker, and wear slippers provided by the hotel. This makes sense: being in an area where muddy and snowy boots are commonplace prevents slush and dirt from piling up inside. Throughout our trip in Longyearbyen, this was standard protocol in all buildings. I rather wish we did the same thing in the States!

Once we changed into slippers, we went upstairs to check in at the lobby. Our room was ready, so we dropped our bags off, checked out the amenities and view, and then headed back down to the restaurant in the hotel. We were very hungry after a full day of travel.

Every meal we had at the Funken Lodge was incredible. For lunch, we ordered chicken sandwiches. I don’t know if it was the travel or the cold, but it was one of the best chicken sandwiches I have ever eaten. They arrived extra crispy, with thick breading and delicious sauce on top. There was also just something extra special about our first meal at the top of the world in a cozy hotel experiencing its first snow for the year.

We had a hiking photography tour later in the afternoon, so we decided to get dressed in some extra layers, walk into town, and grab coffee beforehand. In the fall, it’s recommended to wear multiple layers of clothing primarily made of wool to wick away sweat while keeping you warm. We put on our wool long underwear and shirts, a wool sweater, and then some light puffy jackets so we would stay warm without overheating. It feel like a bit of overkill, but once outside, we realized we thankfully dressed appropriately for the weather.

Heading down into town was magical. Since the Funken Lodge is at the top of a hill overlooking the city, the city was in full view. Juxtaposed against the rugged, snowy mountains were cozy wooden cabins and modern steel buildings built to withstand the harsh winter conditions in the Arctic circle. It was breathtaking, and made for a nice distraction while walking in the frigid, snowy weather.

We walked through the Main Street in town. The city is very small, roughly about 2,500 people, with one main road through the city lined with businesses, apartments, and homes. Scattered throughout were snowmobiles, eagerly awaiting their use once the snow piles up in the wintertime months.

Towards the end of the street, we arrived at our destination: the Husky Cafe. Needing some caffeine before the hike, and curious if the Husky Cafe actually had huskies, we stepped in, first taking off our boots, and then putting on a pair of slippers.

Inside, the cafe was cozy, with chairs and couches scattered throughout, along with an espresso bar. Scents of coffee and freshly baked pastries and other confectioneries seeped through the air. We ordered two espresso drinks and purchased a pastry to share. After sitting down, the guest of honor arrived. Out of the back room trotted a husky, excited to see everyone in the cafe, and also eager to look out the window. He walked around the cafe, getting attention from everyone, and then decided to perch himself on a chair to watch the activity outside. It really was a husky cafe!

The drinks arrived and hit the spot, a nice reprieve from the cold winds outside. We chatted about the plans for the rest of the day, spent some time with the huskies, and then made our way to the hotel for the meeting spot of our photography hike.

We were picked up by the tour guide, getting into a van with several other people who were taking part in the activity. After brief introductions we were on our way to the area for the hike.

Along the way to the spot for our hike, the guide stopped the van on the side of the ocean. He had spotted beluga whales! Off in the distance were a few belugas, their white fins sporadically cresting the waves. There was excitement in the group, many immediately taking out their cameras to snap photos. I was having issues with my camera. The cold kept fogging up the lens, so I eventually gave up and decided to just enjoy the view.

After the belugas were out of sight, we hopped back into the van for our hike. By the time we reached our destination on the northwest side of Svalbard, the weather had made a turn for the worse. We stepped out of the van and into wind and pelting wet snow. Everyone had bundled up, but it was clear this hike wasn’t going to be what we were hoping for. Our guide said that because of the weather, we wouldn’t likely see much wildlife as the animals headed for shelter away from the wet snow.

The hike began and continued rather uneventful along the coastline, hiking up and down grassy, rocky hills. The wind was bone chilling cold, and the wet snow tested the limits of our clothing. For me, it was clear I needed to invest in better gloves as my hands were cold, red, and numb in my the pair I brought with me.

We continued our trek, at some point seeing some sea birds, but that was the extent of wildlife. Our guide decided to have us head back to the van as the weather was getting worse and the snow was turning to rain.

Just as we were about to hop in, we spotted some Svalbard reindeer. These white beauties are unique to the region, and are the largest grazing animals in the European northern arctic.

We snagged some photos (my camera was still acting up- rats), and then made our way to the final destination of the tour, the global seed vault.

For nearly 20 years, the global seed vault has stored seed samples of important food crops in the event of catastrophe. More than a million varieties of seeds sit there today. The vault is similar to a bank: an organization can deposit the seeds there and Norway technically has no ownership of them. It was interesting to see, but was also a sobering reminder of the current state of the world.

We spent some time outside of the seed vault (you can’t go inside), and then it was time to head back to the hotel. Our guide dropped us off and said farewell. We dried off and warmed up at the hotel bar, then decided to grab dinner because it was getting late.

For dinner, we decided to head to Restaurant Kroa, which is known for its local cuisine. Stepping inside, we were greeted to a warm space, decked out in wood and local paintings, creating a rustic, yet refine ambiance. We ordered some beer from the only brewery in Longyearbyen, Svalbard Brewery. (More to come on that in another post). For my entree, I had meat, veggies, and fingerling potatoes, which hit the spot after the long day. We topped it off with an absolutely amazing dessert, a chocolate lava cake. After feeling sufficiently full, we headed back to the hotel and got some sleep for another action packed day.