Who would have thought that a settlement of coal miners in the Arctic can be a base of tourism?  Longyearbyen, the “only” town in the archipelago of Svalbard, still bears its coal-mining roots.  Although large-scale coal mines have long been gone, the roadsides and mountainsides are still littered with mines and their equipment.  However, tourism is slowly becoming the town’s main source of income.  The town is considered as the largest settlement and the administrative center of Svalbard, locat…

Although the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is administered by the Norwegian government, an international treaty declared that any other country has absolute equality in exploiting the area’s mineral resources.  Russia has taken this opportunity and has established a settlement in the 1930s. Nowadays, Barentsburg is the second largest town in Svalbard with about 400 inhabitants who are almost entirely Russian and Ukrainians, most are working for the Russian-owned Arktikugol.  Russia is currently…

The economy may not be in good shape in Iceland, but that does not mean you have to ignore the beauty and charm that its capital city can bring to weary travelers. Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital is a destination for tourists who seek for a combination of tradition and eccentricity. The city may populated by the most darkly cynical people in the world, but they are brimming with creativity and enthusiasm for life. The summers are occupied with 22-hour daylights and the winters are sc…