Longyearbyen

Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway
Page 10
Continued from page 9

ABOVE: Foundation posts from Gamle Longyearbyen, or Old Longyearbyen, which was burned to the ground by the German armed forces in World War II. INSET BELOW: A "snøscooter" parking sign.

Longyearbyen photos

On this page and the 20 pages that follow, you'll find pictures of scenes from Longyearbyen. In many cases, the captions expand on information in this article.

All photos were taken in June, 2006.

Note: Longybearbyen is more attractive at close range than it is in photographs. The seemingly brown and drab landscape is covered with lichens and other vegetation, buildings are mostly well-maintained, and the shopping district has a modern, prosperous, well-kept look. (Just try to ignore the parked snowmobiles that litter the town's parking lots and back yards.) I suspect that the town is at its prettiest in winter, when the slopes of the valley are covered with snow and the colorful houses stand out against the white landscape.

Next page: More photos

Longyearbyen tourist information:
Introduction	Restaurants
History, background	Shopping
Sights, excursions	Arrival and departure
Cruises, boat trips	Planning tips, Web links
Hotels, guesthouses, camping	Photos with captions

Related articles:

Bird Cliffs of Spitsbergen - Fuglefjellet boat trip

MS Nordstjernen - Spitsbergen Adventure Cruise

Search for more information on our site:

Custom Search

"Best of the Web"
- Forbes and The Washington Post

Our most popular topics:

Need a car in Europe?

Auto Europe guarantees the lowest rental rates for standard cars, sports cars, SUVs, luxury cars, chauffered sedans, and RVs. Its Web site also has driving information for 38 countries.

If you live outside the EU, a tax-free Renault or Peugeot tourist lease can be cheaper than renting. Minimum driver age is 18, there' s no upper age limit, and rates include insurance. See: Short-term car leasing.

European train

Traveling by train?
Rail Europe has schedules, maps, and guides for 50+ European railroads. (Residents of North and Central America can buy tickets and rail passes online.)

From Europe for Cruisers:

Travel and cruise news:

Europe for Visitors Blog