Making the most of Moller harbour
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Conditions determine whether Zodiac tenders can transfer passengers from ships at anchor or on moorings to the shore.
Sightseeing
Svalbard is the Norwegian name for this archipelago, including Bear Island and Jan Mayen, but Spitsbergen is its usual name. Covering almost the same area as the Republic of Ireland, Spitsbergen is still virtually untouched wilderness with 3,500 inhabitants in five communities.
Only 600 miles from the North Pole, the true High Arctic landscape includes imposing mountains, wide tundra, glaciers and ice caps.
The area's rich wildlife formerly attracted whalers and trappers. Visitors now discover vast Arctic seabird colonies and the prospect of enjoying and photographing animals such as Walrus, Reindeer, Arctic Fox and, naturally, Polar Bear.
Deep within the Arctic Circle, remote Spitsbergen is known as the 'land of the pointed mountains'. Moellerhaven is an Arctic port in this island archipelago.
Food and shopping
Most buildings in Svalbard, among them some shops and hotels, expect visitors to remove footwear before entering. At public premises, a prominent shoe rack piled with dirty walking boots signals the rule.
Money
Norwegian krone (NOK) is used as currency, even in settlements administered by Russians.
Staying connected
Norwegian is official, with Russian spoken in Barentsburg. Practically all tourism workers also speak English.
NASA's rental of bulk capacity on undersea fibre-optic cables running across the seabed to mainland Norway for Svalbard experiments gives the archipelago a top-class internet connection.
Opening Hours and
Settlements follow the relevant Norwegian or Russian public holidays, while several local festivals may also be of interest:
- Polar Jazz runs for 4-5 days at the end of January, presenting jazz, blues and bluegrass.
- Around March 8th, Sunfest Week marks the polar night's conclusion.
- The end-of-October Blues Festival offers a fittingly blues-focused welcome to the approaching winter.
- KunstPause Svalbard, held around 14 November, aligns an arts festival with the beginning of polar night.