Put on your scarf, warm your hands in your pockets and breathe in the fresh, cool Svalbardian air. The autumn is here at last!
Towards the end of August and the start of September, Svalbard enters the season we like to nickname “the golden autumn”. This is our short but intense version of autumn which barely lasts a full month, but which in return can offer immensely beautiful autumn coloured landscapes.
The birds start heading southwards, the early sprinkles of snow create snow-caps on the mountaintops, and the midnight sun says goodbye for now. As the landscape is rapidly transformed, the locals are thankful for gradually longer and darker evenings after four months underneath the midnight sun.
In this transitional period where the days are bright and the nights are dark, Svalbard does not hold anything back in terms of memorable and beautiful experiences.
Surrounded by the red and orange autumn tundra, you can try driving your own dog sledding team. You can choose between half- and full-day dog sledding trips using wagons in Longyearbyen’s surroundings. If you’re lucky, the sled dog yard you’re visiting has puppies that will gladly snuggle up in your arms after your trip.
Get closer to nature and experience the changing landscapes yourself by joining an organised guided hiking trip! As autumn sets in, the grassy plains in Svalbard are adorned with swaying eriophorums and mushrooms, complementing the beautiful colours in the landscape. Polar bears are ever-present throughout the year, so be sure to go hiking with a professional local guide on an organised hiking trip to stay safe. The guide knows how to keep you safe on hikes and carries safety equipment suitable for the Svalbardian wilderness.
Longyearbyen Literature festival in early September can offer literary delights, and towards the end of Svalbard’s autumn in early October one can find some real culinary highlights at the Taste Svalbard festival.
Together with the onset of autumn comes a truly special display of lights in Svalbard, and the lights really get to show off over the massive fjord Isfjorden. This makes it just that much more magical to join a boat trip!
No matter if it’s a fishing trip, whale safari or glacier safari. When the conditions are right and the light shines, Isfjorden is the place to be!
But when the sea is calm, nothing beats a kayaking trip which is about the closest you can get to seeing the autumn light shining in the water without going for a swim.
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