FROM LONGYEARBYEN TO TROMSø

Welcome to Spitsbergen – wild, raw island beauty and home to a fascinating animal world. In the kingdom of polar bears, your state-of-the-art expedition ship moves flexibly and safely thanks to its highest ice class – with one goal in sight, circumnavigation. Will it happen? You will only find out on board, since the expedition’s course will be determined by the weather and ice conditions. Every day is packed with experiences which bring together the pioneering spirit of the past and the thirst for action of the present. A passionate expedition spirit will also be awakened in you when the Zodiacs bring you to remote coastlines or, with luck, to see whales, walruses and polar bears.

Forge your way along deserted coasts like the great pioneers before you visit Hornsund, where hundreds of thousands of little auks live on the shore. Blubber ovens, houses and graves are the main remnants of the early European whale industry here: some 50 whaling stations were registered in Spitsbergen. This site is one of the oldest and comes from a time when whaling was still operated from the shore.

Ny-Alesund is known for its great polar history and international research. The world’s northernmost year-round research station is devoted to meteorology and research into global warming and the Northern Lights. Around 30 people live here in the winter and about 120 people in the summer. In Ny-Alesund, you can find the world’s northernmost post office.

An impressive Arctic landscape of steep mountains surrounds the Smeerenburgfjord. When your expedition ship cruises here, you will be able to see some fantastic glacier views. When you go ashore, you might see the timid Arctic fox.

In the Liefdefjord, the majestic Monacobreen glacier will catch your eye. Blocks of ice keep falling into the fjord from the 5 km (3.1 miles) wide front. Take a look from the deck or from a Zodiac. The glacier was named in honour of Prince Albert I of Monaco, who explored the area in 1906 and 1907 with Gunnar Isachsen.

If the conditions allow, you’ll venture forth into the waters of north-east Spitsbergen, where you can experience the true expedition feeling. At only around 1,000 km (621 miles) from the North Pole, every extra kilometre may be increasingly difficult to negotiate. Will the ice grant a passage through the eye of the needle in the Hinlopen Strait? Pack ice often builds up here, making this a challenging route. The ability to complete a circumnavigation depends on this passage.

The captain and officers will constantly look for impressive scenes such as the cliffs of Alkefjellet: the “bird mountain” is inhabited by thousands of birds from numerous species, including thick-billed murres, kittiwakes, glaucous gulls, Arctic terns and eider ducks.

The Zodiacs will also take you ashore in Palanderbukta on the island of Nordaustlandet, most of which is covered by ice caps. On a hike through the sparse tundra, keep an eye out for Svalbard poppies and purple saxifrage.

Herds of walrus like to lie on the flat ledges in Torellneset. The mighty bulls are a formidable and memorable sight from a respectful distance – they can weigh over 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) and grow to 3.5 m (11.5 ft) in length.

Weather and ice permitting, you will pass through the narrow Freeman Sound. Keep your eyes peeled: whales seek out protected biotopes off Spitsbergen and will happily follow ships that are passing the archipelago from time to time.

On Barents Island, you may be able to spot reindeer in their flourishing natural habitat. The island is also an important area for polar bears, which bring their cubs into the world here. With a little luck and from a safe distance, you will be able to observe these animals from the ship.