A round trip with electric bikes enables you to experience a lot of Longyearbyen’s sights in a comfortable and efficient way, while getting close to nature. It is not uncommon to have to stop for reindeer and polar foxes when you travel silently and environment friendly on two wheels.

Gain Arctic superpowers on an electric bike
Getting around on the paved and unpaved roads around Longyearbyen, electric bicycles are the perfect method of transport.

Every press on the pedal gives you an extra push forwards and the feeling of having superpowers. Starting with a tour around Longyearbyen to gain a good introduction to the town, before we cycle west on the historic Burma road. Along the way we pass several old wooden cableway structures and enjoy a fantastic view of the fjord and the mountains.

In the area west of town a lot of the locals have their private cabins, and in the summer many seabirds and waterfowl come here to search for food. On rare occasions we can be lucky enough to see the Beluga whale passing by in the fjord. Svalbard has an amazing flora and wildlife despite its northern location, and a lot of it can be found in the area surrounding the city. Migratory birds will leave the island when winter is closing in, but the area is good for spotting both Svalbard reindeer and polar foxes year around.

Great contrasts from the seat of your bike
We turn our bikes eastwards, and pass the town before we head out into Adventdalen, the ‘Advent Valley’, to take a look at the historic corner stone of Longyearbyen – coal mining. Longyearbyen has 44 kilometres of road, and most of it was built for the mining industry. On these roads the black gold is transported by large trucks, that every now and then will pass us loudly on the wide gravel road. This makes for a large contrast to the peaceful Arctic landscape which otherwise surrounds us. The coal trucks are a living testament of the industrial history and the cultural heritage that still characterizes the society on Svalbard.