Svalbard (Spitsbergen) : with Franz Josef Land and Jan Mayen

The seventh edition of the only detailed, standalone guidebook from a major publisher to this extraordinary High Arctic destination.

Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Jan Mayen collectively constitute Europe's wildest frontier. This remote archipelago is home to the Global Seed Vault, which safeguards plants in case of environmental disaster, and presents a remarkable picture of Arctic life: 4,000 snow scooters for a population of just 2,500, reindeer grazing beside icy roads with a wary eye open for polar bears, and more than 50 nationalities living together in the tiny capital city of Longyearbyen. Once populated by trappers, miners and whalers, this Norwegian city is now home to climate scientists and a thriving tourism industry perfectly suited to ecotourism and adventure sports.

Whether you're planning an expedition cruise in summer to spot polar bears, walruses, beluga whales and Arctic foxes, a spring adventure tackling husky-sledding, skidooing, cross-country skiing, ice climbing or fossil-hunting, or a winter escape to witness the northern lights dance across ink-black skies, this guidebook has you covered. You can explore mining ghost towns, hunt for geographic superlatives like the world's most northerly kebab, and experience the otherworldly phenomenon of polar 'noctourism' when the sun disappears for four months.

Freshly researched and updated, this seventh edition reflects important recent changes in the archipelago, from climate-responsible travel innovations and eco-minded tours to a slew of new hotels and restaurants. It provides all the practical and background information you need to turn the hostile into the hospitable, making it the indispensable guide to this once-in-a-lifetime destination.