A trip to Svalbard

We all have a place that has an immediate effect of us, that grabs us as soon as we get there and never lets us go. A happy place. I’ve been lucky enough to feel that special feeling in a few different places, but Svalbard is definitely top of the list.

Why go to Svalbard?

I’ve travelled to Svalbard 5 times, and I’m heading back there in march. There is something so particular about being so far away from everything, so close to the pole, to be able to touch the packice, and to not have any signal anymore. I

So add to that the fact that Svalbard is the only place in the world to protect polar bears, the amazing landscapes that were the subject of many explorer dreams, walruses, whales, the history of the archipelago, and the absolute calm you reach once you leave Longyearbyen: it can’t get much closer to what I would imagine Paradise to be. 

And as for everywhere else, tourism in on the up. There are even cruiseship companies that only offer to go up to Longyearbyen and then back down. Then some tourists think they’ve reach the “north pole”. It’s a shame as Svalbard deserves more time: in the winter you can hike and see ice caves, the polar night and the northern lights, and in the summer you can see polars bears, hike even more, go kayakings, and see the iconic fjords that explorers used as a starting point for their search for the North Pole. Also Svalbard is the only place in the world that protects polar bears, while every other country still hunts them. As a result, their population is increasing, despite the fact that Svalbard is the place that’s warming up the fastest in the world. Svalbard – an example of sustainability

I hope that one day I will be able to photograph a wedding in Svalbard, and if you dream of getting married in Svalbard then feel free to get in touch so we can organise it together! And in the meantime, here is a small selection of pictures I took there during my different trips to Svalbard.