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Russian settlement in Svalbard, Norway
Photo: Dmitrii Rusanov, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Barentsburg (Баренцбург) is a pint-sized but fascinating open-air museum of the Soviet Union in Svalbard, where 300 hardy coal miners continue to work in one of the northernmost settlements on Earth.
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A small Orthodox wooden chapel, erected in 1996 to commemorate the 140 victims of a plane that crashed while bringing in a new shift of miners to Barentsburg.
It may be only the world's second most northernly statue of Lenin (the top spot still belongs to Pyramiden), but it's still a popular spot to take a picture.
Stuffed polar bears, a dinosaur footprint and lots of rocks.
Look up on the hillside above Barentsburg — there's a five-pointed star and the Communist-era slogan Миру Мир/Miru Mir, or "Peace to the World". The sign also serves a useful function during winter, as when the star becomes visible again, the polar night has ended and summer is coming.
The main exhibition isn't about art, it showcases whalers' items from clothes to carved Orthodox crosses all the way back from the 17th century as well as parts of the wooden ship that Willem Barents expedition used when sailing the waters in 1596. Temporary exhibitions include traditional and folk art by Arctic peoples and paintings of Svalbard by Anna Mikhailova, a Russian painter.
Towering over Barentsburg, there are large satellite dishes here.
Heerodden
The cape where the heliport is, north of Barentsburg.
South of Barentsburg, named so because according to someone it was a fine peninsula to land a ship.
Two sea water swimming pools and assorted other sports facilities. Also used for competitions with Longyearbyen
You can visit the coal mine on a guided tour. It's said to be the world's only operating coal mine that can be visited, and it's also the northernmost in the world. Tours are available in English, Norwegian, French and Russian.
Visit the husky center to see eight different dog breeds used as sled dogs. You can go trekking with the dogs, and dog sledding is available both in winter and summer (when they pull a cart instead of a sled).
A few different kayak tours are available, from a few hours around Grønfjorden to 11-day expeditions around Svalbard.
The tour company also offers fishing tours, ocean fishing from boats and lake fishing from the shore of Lake Linné.
One of two breweries in Svalbard (the other one is in Longyearbyen), the "red bear" is also a restaurant, bar and party place. The food menu features cod dishes, burgers, meat dishes and soups, the bar menu their own beer and several cocktails.
Rijpsburg, named after a short-lived Dutch settlement nearby, is a fish restaurant serving dishes prepared from fish from the Arctic waters, though they also have some meat dishes.
With an interior designed like a Soviet icebreaker, the hotel bar specializes in different types of aquavit on the one hand, and drinks from the Soviet Arctic on the other. Traditionally on expeditions, pure alcohol was diluted to the same strength as the latitude and then drunk. Order a "78° latitude" to experience how strong the stuff was when they were around Barentsburg!
Built in 1988 and in fairly good shape. 46 rooms and Wi-Fi and breakfast included. The hotel has a bar, a restaurant, a sauna and a conference room.
Hostel with 78 beds in twin and triple rooms. Both floors have a common kitchen, toilets and showers, and there are laundry facilities. Free Wi-Fi.
Souvenir shop offering matryoshka dolls, Lenin pins and assorted other Soviet-Russian kitsch.
Russian-style souvenirs here, made by locals. There are workshops for baking, painting and making finger puppets.
By plane
Barentsburg has a heliport operated by the Russian company SPARK+ with one Mi-8 helicopter.
By boat
Most visitors arrive from Longyearbyen on daytrips (2–3 hours one way by boat). The sailing season is from March to November.
By foot
There are no roads to Barentsburg, and it's two days' solid hiking from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg in the summer.
By snowmobile
In late winter and early spring when there's enough snow, travel by snowmobile is a more popular option and day trips are offered by tour operators in Longyearbyen — it's a fantastic ride and well…
Barentsburg is easily covered on foot and orienting yourself in the town is easy.
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