Svalbard

Svalbard

From Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure by The Barefoot Backpacker

April 9, 2026 · 1h 12m · Season 10 · Episode 128

About this episode

The episode explores Svalbard's unique history, wildlife, culture, and the ethical considerations of traveling to such a remote location.

Hello :) Last year, off the back of my 100th country visit to Norway, I spent three nights in Svalbard, one of the most northern archipelagos in the world. Though I wasn't there for long, I felt it was an interesting place to do a podcast about, covering history, wildlife, culture, and of course the ethical aspect of travelling to somewhere like that in the first place. Not a spoiler: I did not see a polar bear. Topics discussed in this episode are: Parts One and Two: Housekeeping and Introduction Part Three: Overview * So remote even the Vikings didn't go there * Whale-hunting, fur-trapping, Wild West Mining Towns, and how they became Norwegian * Svalbard v Spitsbergen * How its different from Norway * Population un-Density Part Four: Wildlife & Environment * This is the land of the Polar Bear * Birds, but not in winter * Longyearbyen feels very small from above * There are no trees, only scree Part Five: Things To Do In Longyearbyen * The Airport is surprisingly insta-ready * The Seed Vault * Museums * The world's most northerly brewery (and why it only dates from 2015) * You don't come here to die * What do you mean 'Shoes are Banned'?! * The Midnight Sun and the Northern…

People in this episode

Host: The Barefoot Backpacker

Topics covered

  • history
  • wildlife
  • culture
  • ethical travel
  • tourism
  • climate change

Keywords

  • Svalbard
  • Norway
  • Longyearbyen
  • ethical travel
  • climate change
  • wildlife
  • Midnight Sun
  • Northern Lights

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Svalbard, Norway, Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Vikings, Wild West Mining Towns, Climate Change, Midnight Sun, Northern Lights, whale

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