Immerse yourself in the Polar Night

Text: Veronika Valdal

Exploring new territories and the silence of the Polar Night, leaves traces in people who experience it. Authentic, inspiring, and powerful. The dark sky carries a quiet, calming power. Kilometer-long valleys sparkle in the moonlight and 50 shades of green flicker in the sky. Step into the darkness of the Polar Night to hunt high and low for the light!

Hunting the Northern Lights on a snowmobile

The Arctic silence prevail

On the approach to Svalbard, you will notice that the horizon darkens the further north you move. You have now arrived at postcode 9170, Longyearbyen. Where the streets have no name, where there are more snowmobiles than people and Svalbard reindeer is the nearest neighbour. A small and intimate community where people live close to each other. A dramatic and frozen landscape, which even now in the darkness reveals itself with its majestic expression. The everlasting dark is almost assumed as a period of hibernation mode: a time to feel the stillness around oneself and in nature.

The Polar Night is a natural phenomenon that occurs north of the northern hemisphere. From mid-November to the end of January, it is the weeks around the winter solstice, also called the Polar Night. When it is at its darkest, it is so dark that the human eye cannot distinguish between night and day. Exposed and naked. Completely dark. There are not many places in the world where you can experience the pitch black, a place so dark that it feels like an eternal power outage. It is the perfect time for tranquillity and relaxation. More time for each other. More me-time.

The natural light display: Aurora Borealis

In the dark, away from the city’s artificial lights and distractions, you might be lucky enough to be rewarded with a first-class view of the most exciting sights in the sky. On cold, clear winter days, the Northern Lights often appear. Mesmerizing movement and colours in shades of green, purple, and yellow makes its entrance. A goosebumps-inducing experience combined with a blissful and ecstatic mood. Countless words can be used to describe the experience, at the same time there are no words. The Northern Lights are indescribable. It may be a cliché, but it is true.

The Polar Night has its own energy and charm. The cold, yet beautiful darkness, the silence, and the good atmosphere. The great moments and close experiences, so intense and extra-memorable you might never forget. Take the first step into the Polar Night and create your very own memories!