Svalbard - The Northernmost Town on Earth

Longyearbyen on Svalbard is the northernmost settlement with over 1000 residents
My trip to Norway was funded by Screen Australia, Film Victoria and Genepool Productions as part of a new project. More information soon.

Captions:
Come take a walk with me around Longyearbyen, the largest town on the Norwegian islands of Svalbard.

Parts of it look familiar, but make no mistake, this place is different.

At 78 degrees North, it lies just 800 miles or 1300 kilometres from the North Pole. And with over 2,000 permanent inhabitants it is the Northernmost real town on Earth.

There are only 50km of road, including the small streets between houses, so people get around the island mainly on snowmobile.

In fact there are more registered snowmobiles than residents.

Anyone leaving town is required to travel with a gun and someone who knows how to use it because the islands are also home to polar bears.

The average daytime high is below freezing for all but four months of the year, and from the end of October to mid-February the sun doesn’t rise at all. This is the long polar night.

Living here is tough. This past December an avalanche in town destroyed 10 homes, which used to be here, killing two people.

So how did this cold, remote, ice-covered archipelago come to be inhabited?

The hills around town are rich in coal deposits that have been mined for over 100 years.

The coal was transported to the port via a series of aerial tramways some of which remain today, though they are no longer operational.

Coal is a reminder that Svalbard was not always an Arctic ice world. 360 million years ago it was actually in the tropics North of the equator. A swampy area, it was covered with the precursors to modern ferns, which were much larger than they are today, reaching 10-30 metres in height.

This vegetation was then covered in mud and sand and submerged under the sea. Over time it turned into the coal deposits that in the 20th century brought miners from Norway, Russia, and the US.

Most of the coal mines have now closed and the economy is gradually shifting towards tourism, education and research.

Tourists take trips on snowmobiles and dog sleds.

There is a university centre in Svalbard, which offers semester courses in biology, physics and geology.

And up on the side of a mountain is the Svalbard Global seed vault… but that’s a story for another time.

The locals tell me that interest in the region from different nations is increasing.

As the globe warms and Arctic ice shrinks, trade routes are opening up across the North. And Svalbard is strategically placed between North America, Asia and Europe.

One day in the future Svalbard may no longer be as cold or remote as it once was.

But for now it is a reminder of how through our ingenuity people can live in the most inhospitable of places.

Shot with a DJI Phantom 4 drone

[photosmithy]

Sitting at home in England, recovering from a heart attack and watching this lovely, soothing video.

[savagecub]

As an international airline pilot I’ve occasionally had to list Svalbard as an emergency alternate airport when planning polar flights. I’ve never seen it until now. Excellent aerial drone footage. Thanks for sharing.

[FzEdits]

I dont think i'd ever get bored of just staring at the mountains/hills there. There's just something so peaceful about it

[tube]

Norwegians who live there are only paying a small fraction of taxes compared to those on mainland Norway. It definitely helps to "ease" the cold climate. Btw, the coal up there was discovered by John Longyear from the state of Michigan more than 100 years ago. The name of the city - Longyearbyen, is an amalgamation of his name and the Norwegian word for the city = byen (i.e. The City of Longyear)

[Paulshizzle]

You could date somebody for 4 months and it would be still be considered a 1 night stand.

[SturL]

I went to Svalbard 3, 5 years ago. I haven't felt cold since.

[andrewdavid]

It looks nice but as anyone who lives in a place that freezes over more than 6 months out of the year can tell you - that ambient music is really what makes it look so romantic.

[markuskenel]

4 years after seeing this video we finally made it to Svalbard last week and it was one of the most breathtaking journeys we ever did. Spent 3 days on a dogsled with temperatues down to -35°C :) cant beat the light in the north. Beautiful!

[BlackEagle]

i don't know if it's just the music, but this pleases my soul greatly.

[Zack]

The music choice is perfect for the beautiful, yet eerie vibe this town gives off.

[AshwinT]

I don't know why but looking at those landscapes. The horizon. It feels amazing, I know it must be difficult living there but it's so compelling to be there, a mystical land which looks so special and unreal.

[JimPirkle]

The bell's ringing perfectly captures the silent singing beauty of this frozen place.

[torthor]

I actually live here lol, a bit weird watching this

[CodeLeeCarter]

That was Very, Very well put together man, That music, and the very little bits of information you fed to us, was a perfect balance and I loved the work, Thanks man

P.S
Congrats seeing you on Documentaries mate, You earned It !

[NUMBEROCKLLC]

This was so beautifully put together. A truly sensational production with brilliant editing.

[mikeyoung]

Reminds me of Skarsvag Norway. There is a live cam for it so you get the endless daylight, endless night there over the months and it's billed as the northernmost fishing village in the world. At my age the cold is a bit much for me but I do love these isolated places in the world.

[omarma]

this is place is just too perfect to me very few people, cold and snowy everyday and the sun never touches the
ground I love it

[nesirsitsir]

This guy has the coolest job in the world

[MrGrus]

Don't make it sound so sad >:I We have REALLY cheap beer and pretty decent internet access up there!

[keraptisblackrazor]

I've had the pleasure of visitong Svalbard in the winter. It's spectacular. The little museum is worth a visit, as is the ridiculously good whiskey bar.