Arctic – Svalbard Archipelago

Main island of Svalbard

Research Station Ny-Ålesund

Ny-Ålesund is the world's northernmost research station that operates year-round. It is located at 79 degrees north latitude in the west of the island of Spitsbergen on the Kongsfjord. Work in the research center including the atmospheric observatory Scientists from eleven countries.

At the same time, the past is omnipresent in Ny-Ålesund: an Amundsen statue adorns the center, the oldest house dates from 1909 and the former coal train, the northernmost railway in the world, has also been preserved. The former mining settlement served Amundsen and Nobile as a launch pad for their North Pole expedition with the airship Norge. The anchor mast is still there.

Ny-Ålesund Svalbard is the place where Amundsen started his North Pole expedition in 1926 with the airship Norge

Amundsen and Nobile's North Pole expedition started in Ny-Ålesund.

Ny-Ålesund Svalbard research stations and airship Norge mooring mast from 1926 - starting point of Roald Amundsen's North Pole expedition

World's northernmost railway in Ny-Ålesund on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago

Starting point of Roald Amundsen's North Pole expedition in 1926 with the airship Norge in Ny-Ålesund Svalbard

Atmospheric observatory at the Ny-Alesund Research Center in the High Arctic.

Svalbard Museum Ny-Ålesund Spitsbergen - Amundsen and mining history in Svalbard

World's northernmost post office Ny-Ålesund Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago

Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) Arctic terns protect their chicks and nests in Ny-Ålesund Svalbard

Reindeer in front of the mountain panorama of Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard

The small settlement of Ny-Ålesund is even more north than Longyearbyen and is thus the northernmost settlement of Spitsbergen. However, as it only numbers between 30 and 120 people (depending on the time of year), it cannot dispute Longyearbyen's title as the 'Northernmost City in the World'. In addition, only members of the research station are allowed to live there. However, tourists on a boat trip can visit Ny-Ålesund for a short time and explore the surrounding area.

There are many information boards and a small museum, which also contains a piece of the original hanger from the Amundsen expedition's airship Norge. In addition, the world's northernmost post office is located in Ny-Ålesund and invites you to greet your loved ones. A walk to the anchor mast of the airship is also possible. Along the way we saw arctic flowers, arctic terns, wild geese and even reindeer. The AGE™ experience report "Spitsbergen cruise: Cruising in the midnight sun on calving glaciers" takes you on a journey.

Our Svalbard travel guide will take you on a tour of the various attractions, sights and wildlife viewing.

Svalbard travel guide

Tourists can also discover Spitsbergen with an expedition ship, for example with the Sea Spirit.
Do you dream of meeting the King of Spitsbergen? Experience polar bears in Svalbard
Explore the arctic islands of Norway with the AGE™ Svalbard Travel Guide.

Svalbard travel guide • Svalbard cruise • Spitsbergen Island • Ny-Ålesund • Experience report

Results from the research station Ny-Ålesund

Research in the Arctic (79 degrees north) with 80 publications in 2022 and 18 NySMAC members with long-term programs:

Examples of research fields:

Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Pollution & Sea Pollution
Dynamics of glaciers in Svalbard
High arctic fish and invertebrates
Monitoring of fjord sediments in Svalbard

If you are interested you can find one here List of scientific publications of Arctic research in Ny-Ålesund.
All NySMAC members include China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK.

Where is the Ny-Ålesund research station? Svalbard map

What's the weather like in Ny-Ålesund Svalbard?

Svalbard travel guide • Svalbard cruise • Spitsbergen Island • Ny-Ålesund • Experience report

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Source reference for text research

Information boards on site, information through Poseidon Expeditions or on the Cruise ship Sea Spirit as well as personal experiences when visiting Ny-Ålesund on 18.07.2023.

Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (Last update 20.06.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX), AWIPEV research base. Cross-border research in the Arctic. [online] Retrieved on 09.08.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX, from URL: https://www.awi.de/expedition/stationen/awipev-forschungsbasis.html#:~:text=Auf%20der%20Inselgruppe%20befindet%20sich%20eine%20der%20n%C3%B6rdlichsten,-%20elf%20L%C3%A4nder%20betreiben%20hier%20Stationen%20und%20Forschungslabore.

Ny-Alesund Research Station Svalbard Norway (n.d.): Ny-Alesund Research Station Norway. [online] Retrieved on 27.08.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX, from URL: https://nyalesundresearch.no/

Sitwell, Nigel (2018): Svalbard Explorer. Visitor's Map of Svalbard Archipelago (Norway), Ocean Explorer Maps

On the trail of Arctic research in Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen

arctic research center • Roald Amundsen • northernmost post office & railway