Ayerfjord

According to the conditions, passengers leave their moored or anchored ship and reach the shore in Zodiac tenders.

Norwegians call the archipelago that includes Jan Mayen and Bear Island Svalbard, although Spitsbergen is its usual name. The territory is nearly the size of the Republic of Ireland, yet its 3,500 inhabitants occupy only five settlements and much of it remains unspoilt wilderness.

A mere 600 miles separates this High Arctic island group from the North Pole. Its landscape combines sweeping tundra and jagged mountains with ice caps and glaciers.

The abundant wildlife formerly drew large numbers of hunters and whalers. It now rewards discerning visitors with immense Arctic seabird colonies and chances to see and photograph Walrus, Reindeer, Arctic Fox and, naturally, Polar Bear.

Removing footwear is customary in most Svalbard buildings, including some hotels and shops. A rack piled with muddy walking boots by the entrance signals the expectation in public premises.

Norwegian krone (NOK) remains the currency even in settlements with a Russian population.

The territory's official language is Norwegian, while Barentsburg also uses Russian. English is spoken by virtually everyone in the visitor industry.

NASA's experiments in Svalbard rely on rented bulk capacity aboard submarine fibre-optic cables laid on the seabed to mainland Norway, giving the islands first-rate internet connectivity.

Settlements observe either Norwegian or Russian public holidays as relevant, and the local calendar contains several festivals:

• Late January brings Polar Jazz, a 4-5-day festival featuring jazz, blues and bluegrass.
• Around March 8th, Sunfest Week welcomes the end of the polar night.
• The late-October Blues Festival marks winter's approach with an appropriately blues-based programme.
• KunstPause Svalbard, staged around 14 November, is an arts festival aligned with the onset of polar night.