Svalbard

With Stalinist architecture, a prominent bust of Lenin and posters extolling the motherland, the desolate mining town of Pyramiden is one of the last Soviet outposts in the Arctic.

Chasing the first sunlight is one of the most special experiences you can have on Svalbard, especially for locals after a long winter without months of sunlight.

We travelled 7,500km to the Norwegian Arctic in a no-frills sailboat that was better suited for cruising the Mediterranean than penetrating the polar ice.

Two female polar explorers have been living in a tiny trappers’ cabin on Svalbard in an effort to rouse a global dialogue on climate change and inspire action.

Braving the seemingly endless snow and bitter cold are the inhabitants of Svalbard, and the bears who outnumber them.