Follow Svalbard online
Photo: Frode Ramone, CC BY 2.0
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The best way to get a feel for Svalbard before you go is to watch it through the eyes of people who are there. Here’s a short list of accounts and sites that publish from the archipelago, from the tourist board and the Governor to a YouTuber who lives in a cabin outside Longyearbyen.
We have no connection to any of them, and nobody has paid to be on this list. Accounts change, so if a link stops working, search for the name.
Official accounts
These are the ones to follow for news that affects your trip.
| Who | What they post | Follow |
|---|---|---|
| Visit Svalbard, the tourist board | Inspiration, events and travel information | Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X |
| The Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren) | News and notices from the Governor, including safety information | Facebook, Instagram |
| Longyearbyen lokalstyre, the local council | Local notices, such as the drinking water advice, and the town’s events calendar | lokalstyre.no |
News
- Svalbardposten, the local newspaper, in Norwegian, with much of it behind a paywall: svalbardposten.no, Facebook, Instagram.
- Spitsbergen-Svalbard.com, run by the guide, photographer and author Rolf Stange: news and stories in English, German and Norwegian, plus photos, panoramas and guidebooks. News and stories.
YouTubers and creators
- Cecilia Blomdahl is a Swede who has lived in Svalbard since 2015 and makes videos about everyday life in a cabin outside Longyearbyen with her partner Christoffer and their dog Grim, from the polar night to the midnight sun. Her YouTube channel has more than a million subscribers. YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook.
- Rolf Stange (see above) also publishes photo galleries and short videos from trips around the archipelago on spitsbergen-svalbard.com.
Science and research
- UNIS, the University Centre in Svalbard: student life, fieldwork and Arctic research. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr.
- The Norwegian Polar Institute: research, expeditions and its ship, Kronprins Haakon. Instagram, YouTube.
- Kings Bay, which runs the research town of Ny-Ålesund. Instagram, Facebook.
Museums, culture and the brewery
- Svalbard Museum: Instagram, Facebook.
- North Pole Expedition Museum: Instagram, Facebook.
- Nordover Art Centre & Cinema: Instagram, Facebook.
- Svalbard Church: Facebook.
- Svalbard Brewery: Instagram, Facebook.
For what these places are like, see What to see in Longyearbyen and What to do in Longyearbyen.
Webcams, weather and avalanche forecasts
- Webcams: Rolf Stange keeps a list of Svalbard webcams, including views over Longyearbyen and Adventfjorden. Watching the light change through the year is half the fun.
- Weather: the Norwegian forecast service Yr has a forecast for Longyearbyen.
- Avalanches: Varsom publishes the avalanche forecast for the area around Longyearbyen in season. See Safety in Svalbard.
Good manners online
If you post from Svalbard yourself, keep your distance from wildlife for the photo, and remember that drones are banned in Longyearbyen and in all protected areas. See Drone rules for the details.
Sources
- https://en.visitsvalbard.com/
- https://www.youtube.com/@visitsvalbard6959
- https://www.sysselmesteren.no/en/
- https://www.lokalstyre.no/
- https://www.svalbardposten.no/
- https://www.youtube.com/CeciliaBlomdahl/about
- https://www.spitsbergen-svalbard.com/
- https://www.spitsbergen-svalbard.com/photos-panoramas-videos-and-webcams/spitsbergen-webcams.html
- https://www.unis.no/
- https://www.youtube.com/user/UNISinfo
- https://www.youtube.com/user/norskpolarinstitutt
- https://svalbardmuseum.no/en
- https://www.kingsbay.no/
- https://svalbardbrewery.com/
- https://nordoversvalbard.no/
- https://www.northpolemuseum.com/
- https://www.svalbardkirke.no/
- https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-2759929/Svalbard/Longyearbyen
- https://www.varsom.no/en/avalanches/