Simon Flower

15 Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Svalbard – Gateway to the Arctic

Svalbard is a place where history, science, and extreme nature intersect in surreal and sometimes eerie ways. It’s not just a frozen outpost—it's a living museum, a scientific frontier, and a global insurance policy all rolled into one.

Remote, icy, and hauntingly beautiful, Svalbard is an Arctic archipelago that feels a bit like a sci-fi outpost on the edge of the world.

Many Arctic cruises focus on this remote archipelago that’s situated almost 2000km north of Norway. It is an exceptional Arctic wilderness; stunning Arctic landscapes including massive glaciers and abundant wildlife including (if you’re lucky) polar bears!

Despite its isolation, it’s packed with surprises—historical quirks, global importance, and natural oddities. Here are 15 fascinating facts about Svalbard you probably didn’t know:

🌍 1. No One Truly "Owns" Svalbard

Though it’s part of Norway, the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 gives citizens of over 40 countries the right to live, work, and conduct business there. That includes Australians & New Zealanders as governments of both countries are signatories.

It’s a geopolitical anomaly: Norway governs it, but military activity is banned, and resources are open to international use.

Simon and Jenny at the Longyearbyen glacier on Svalbard.60% of Svalbard is covered by glaciers totalling around 32000km2

🐾2. Cats Are Banned

Cats are illegal on Svalbard to protect the fragile local bird population.

Despite the ban, a few illegal cats have been known to sneak in disguised as other animals (like “dogs” on paperwork!).

The only graves on Svalbard dating back to the Spanish flu outbreak over 100 years ago

🧊 3. Bodies Don’t Decompose in the Ground

Due to permafrost, buried bodies don’t rot—microbial activity is halted by the frozen soil.

🚫 4. It’s Illegal to Be Born (or Die) There

Pregnant women must fly to mainland Norway to give birth.

Similarly, terminally ill residents are required to relocate off-island.

In Longyearbyen, it’s been illegal to die (and be buried) since 1950. Although as a local said about this, ‘well you don’t get into trouble if you do”. The town’s cemetery was closed after discovering that corpses from the 1918 flu pandemic were still contagious. The town’s hospital only takes three patients and any serious medical cases involve a medivac to Tromso in Norway. Anyone with a life threatening condition would be moved within 12 hours.

The forbidding entry to the global seed vault on Svalbard; impregnable.

🔒 5. Home to the Global Seed Vault

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault holds over a million seed samples from around the world.

It acts as a “doomsday vault” to preserve global agriculture in case of catastrophe. You can’t get in of course but the outside is suitably photogenic.

🏔️ 6. Gateway to Arctic Exploration

Svalbard was a launchpad for many historic Arctic expeditions, including Roald Amundsen’s 1926 airship flight over the North Pole.

The town of Ny-Ålesund became a hub for polar research and is still a global research base today.

Glaciers kilometres long disgorge their icebergs into the seas around Svalbard

🪖 7. WWII Soldiers Surrendered Here—After the War Ended

German soldiers stationed on Svalbard surrendered in September 1945, months after Germany’s formal capitulation.

Cut off from the world, they claimed they didn’t know the war was over.

The coal mining past of Svalbard is hard to miss in Longyearbyen.

⛏️ 8. Built on Coal

Svalbard’s economy once depended almost entirely on coal mining, dating back to the early 20th century.

Today, only a few mines remain operational, mainly for symbolic or research purposes. In fact the last commercial coal mine was closed in June 2025 and marked by a huge party in Longyearbyen.

Longyearbyen’s landscape is strongly shaped by Svalbard’s industrial past, notably by the prominent and unmissable rusting coal buckets.

🏙️ 9. A Town With More Snowmobiles Than People

Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s largest settlement, has around 2,500 residents—and thousands of snowmobiles.

It’s one of the northernmost inhabited places on Earth.

Longyearbyen – the world’s most northernmost town; named after the American businessman, John Munro Longyear who developed the mining industry on Svalbard in the early 20th century.

Just your usual grocery run… minus the rifles and revolvers.

🐻 10. You Need a Gun to Leave Town

Polar bears outnumber people in Svalbard.

Locals are required to carry rifles (or flare gun) when venturing outside settlements for self-defense against bears. But the supermarkets and pubs would prefer that you don’t bring them inside.

See our article on How Likely You Are to See A Polar Bear

Translation – watch out for bears!

🌞 11. Endless Day and Endless Night

Like the Arctic region in general Svalbard experiences midnight sun from April to August and polar night from October to February.

The sun doesn’t rise at all for months during winter.

Great image from the Svalbard museum showing the extreme light cycles of the region. To be honest it takes a while to adapt to nighttime never really getting dark!

🛂 12. You Don’t Need a Visa to Live There

Thanks to the Svalbard Treaty, anyone can move there without a visa or work permit—but you must be self-sufficient. Australia and New Zealand are both signatories to the Svalbard treaty so in theory we can all go and live there!

But no social welfare is offered; if you can’t support yourself, you’ll be asked to leave.

🌌 13. A Stargazer’s Paradise

During polar night, auroras (northern lights) often streak across the sky.

The cold, clear air makes it a prime spot for astronomy and atmospheric research.

🧪 14. A Global Research Hotspot

Over 20 countries operate research stations on Svalbard, studying climate change, glaciology, and Arctic biology.

It’s one of the most closely monitored environments on the planet.

Its not as cold as you think but….its still pretty cold!

🧊 15. It’s Not as Cold as You Think

Despite being so far north, ocean currents like the Gulf Stream keep temperatures relatively moderate compared to other polar regions. Although to be honest it felt pretty cold to us especially in zodiacs.

Winter temperatures hover around −15°C (5°F), warmer than parts of inland Canada or Siberia at the same latitude.

This is also why Svalbard is a wildlife hotspot – see our Guide to Arctic Wildlife Watching here

Final Thought:

Svalbard is a place where history, science, and extreme nature intersect in surreal and sometimes eerie ways. It’s not just a frozen outpost—it’s a living museum, a scientific frontier, and a global insurance policy all rolled into one.

While Arctic expedition cruises visit various destinations, Svalbard’s close proximity to Norway and Longyearbyen’s benefits as a base make it a well-deserved feature in many Arctic itineraries.

If you’d like help to find an Arctic expedition that includes Svalbard, or curious about how much an Arctic Expedition really costs, we’d love to assist you!

About Simon Flower

Originally from the United Kingdom, Simon has worked in the travel industry for over thirty-five years. He is passionate about genuine expedition style travel and has travelled to both the Arctic and Antarctic on expedition vessels.

Expedition Partners (formerly Flower Travel) specialise in expedition style travel by small ship cruise and private rail journeys.

PH: 1300 654 861

Monday-Friday 9.30am – 5.30pm

contact@expeditionpartners.com.au

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