Sandra Walser / Courtesy of HurtigrutenWander around stunning Svalbard on a Hurtigruten Fram cruise of Norway and its northern islands.

Visitors: Make sure you have a guide

Svalbard is the northernmost tip of Europe and, a few military bases aside, its settlements are the northernmost permanently inhabited spots on the planet. They are far more northerly than any part of Alaska and all but a few of Canada's Arctic islands. In fact, they would be permanently locked in by ice if not for the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, and it is this comparative warmth that makes them habitable. The combined permanent population is less than 3,000, nearly all of which is concentrated in the main settlements of Longyearbyen and Barentsburg on Spitsbergen.

Although it is technically possible to prepare your own excursion while on Svalbard, the lack of infrastructure, the necessity of carrying (and knowing how to use) a rifle outside the settlements, as well as the harshness of the environment even during the summer make pre-organized activities with professional guides a necessity for most visitors.

Linda Drake / Courtesy of HurtigrutenProbably siblings, right? Arctic fox pups rough-housing during a trip to the Svalbard islands aboard the Hurtigruten cruise ship Farm.

Climate

Svalbard literally means "cold edge," an apt name for this northern land. The climate is Arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current. Summers are cool (July averages 6.1°C) and winters are cold (January averages -15.8°C).

Safety

Crime isn't a problem in Svalbard. Instead, you're more likely to face danger of frostbite in the face (nose and cheeks), fingers and toes, particularly in low temperatures with wind. And be aware that some 500 polar bears polar bears inhabit the main islands at any one time!

Fun facts

• Here's a shocker: The Internet connection in Svalbard is top class, courtesy of NASA renting bulk capacity on undersea fiber optic cables running at seabed to mainland Norway for its experiments. Longyearbyen has several public Internet terminals.
• Svalbard is a popular staging point (at least in relative terms) for launching expeditions to the North Pole.

Your take

Have you been to Svalbard? Please share a story, tip or discovery. What was the highlight for you? 

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