Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tinctive Tre Kroner peaks, Dana (1175m), Svea (1226m) and Nora (1226m) - named in
honour of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, respectively - jut from the ice and are among
Svalbard's most recognisable landmarks.
BLOMSTRANDHALVØYA
Gravelly Blomstrandhalvøya was once a peninsula but, in the early 1990s, it was released
from the icy grip on its northern end and it's now an island. In summer the name Blom-
strand, or 'flower beach', would be appropriate, but it was in fact named for a Norwegian
geologist.NyLondon,atthesouthernendoftheisland,recallsoneErnestMansfieldofthe
Northern Exploration Company who attempted to quarry marble in 1911 only to discover
that the stone had been rendered worthless by aeons of freezing and thawing. A couple of
buildings and some forlorn machinery remain.
Magdalenefjord
Thelovelyblue-greenbayofMagdalenefjordinNordvestSpitsbergen,flankedbytowering
peaks and intimidating tidewater glaciers, is the most popular anchorage along Spitsber-
gen's western coast and is one of Svalbard's prettiest corners. In the 17th century, this area
saw heavy Dutch whaling; at Graveneset, near the mouth of the fjord, you can still see the
remains of two stoves used to boil the blubber. There are numerous protected graves of
17th- and mid-18th-century whalers.
Prins Karls Forlandet
On the west coast of Spitsbergen, the oddly shaped 86km-long island of Prins Karls For-
landet is a national park set aside to protect breeding walruses, seals and sea lions. The
alpinenorthernreaches,whichrisetoGrampianfjellet(1084m),areconnectedtoSaltfjellet
(430m), at the southern end, by a long flat plain called Forlandsletta.
Krossfjorden
Thanks to Lillehöökbreen (its grand tidewater glacier) and several cultural relics, Krossf-
jorden also attracts quite a few cruise ships. At Ebeltoftbukta, near the mouth of the fjord,
you can see several whalers' graves as well as a heap of leftover junk from a 1912 German
telegraphofficethatwasshiftedwholesaletoNyÅlesundafteronlytwoyearsofoperation.
