Norway – Ashatta

Hiorthfjellet – “The Arctic Challenge”

28/09/2020 04/10/2020

It seems I am that kind of person who likes to be exhausted on their vacation 😀 Of course, when going to Svalbard I had to take the toughest available activity there…

Mount Hiorthfjellet does not look intimidating at first as it is only 900 meters tall – nothing compared to the Swiss Alps I am used to. So why is it considered the hardest day hike of Svalbard, was I wondering? I have an answer now and wrote about it in this post, so if you would like to know as well – read on 🙂

Wildlife safaris on Svalbard

05/08/2020 03/10/2020

When the topic of safaris comes up, Svalbard and Arctic in general are never among the first entries on the list, and that is utterly and desperately wrong!

The waters of this Northern archipelago are a favorite haven for many species of whales and seals, steep cliffs that surround the fjords are home to gargantuan bird colonies, and barren rocky mountains, desolate at first sight, nevertheless provide life and food for wild reindeer. Want to see all of this? Read on!

Longyearbyen – the world’s northernmost city

01/08/2020 03/10/2020

Any travel to the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard almost inevitably starts and ends in the biggest city on the islands – Longyearbyen, or “Longyear City”.

Founded just a hundred years ago and having lived through the transformation from a bunch of miners’ barracks to a center of Arctic research and tourism, it has always been a refuge for explorers, rebels, and dreamers, the city of cold weather and warm hearts.

Fjord roadtrip in Norway

23/08/2019 07/06/2020

I always treat my travel seriously: a couple of months before I start reading travel guides and blogs, compile lists, book activities. The travel to Norway was, of course, well planned too, but the purpose of planning was different: this time I had to make a list of things to NOT see.