Svalbard
Svalbard
Travel to Svalbard, look out for polar bears hunting on ice and experience calving glaciers. Dance on the pack ice and hike the tundra. No question, the archipelago is a jewel. And a polar expedition cruise is a fitting tribute.
Expedition cruises to the far north have a long tradition. And those who travel north along the west coast of Spitsbergen can see why the island was named "Spitzbergen" by the Dutch discoverer Willem Barentsz; pointy mountains seem to spear the sky here. Sharp and black they fall into the sea, their line is only interrupted by glaciers that end in the sea with their icy fronts. An eternal landscape whose beauty does not wear off.
Nevertheless the Svalbard archipelago has more to offer. While in the west, the aforementioned mountains dominate the picture, it falls off towards the east. Wide tundra alternates with deep fjords and scree deserts that give an impression of what it looked like here during the ice age. And again and again glaciers: after all, two thirds of the country are covered by ice. Ausfonna, with its 180 kilometres long and up to 40 metres high ice edge does not have to hide behind Greenland. A new image awaits you behind every headland, every island, every bay. A landscape for constant discovery.
Humans have left their traces in this wilderness for centuries. So anyone who wants to travel to Svalbard is part of a long tradition. Everywhere on the archipelago you will find evidence of our history. Old whaling stations tell of the bloody industry in the 17th century, mining relics of more modern attempts to get rich with nature. Remains of weather stations from the Second World War and of camps of fur hunters give an impression of life here in the far north.
Being on the ship that suits you is just as important as choosing the right destination.
Adventurous and authentic The ships are small and offer little to no comfort or luxury. The closeness to nature and incomparable flexibility of a trip in a group of 10-30 passengers characterize these ships.
Ships with 12 to 170 passengers, which offer a certain comfort and service, but still allow guests to experience the nature of the polar regions at first hand. During the daily activities, each guest can individually join a group of their fitness level.
Adventurous and authentic The ships are small and offer little to no comfort or luxury. The closeness to nature and incomparable flexibility of a trip in a group of 10-30 passengers characterize these ships.
Ships with 12 to 170 passengers, which offer a certain comfort and service, but still allow guests to experience the nature of the polar regions at first hand. During the daily activities, each guest can individually join a group of their fitness level.