Svalbard- Last stop before the North Pole

Arrive in Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Norway by plane. It's the northernmost... anything! The world's most northern airport, school, bank, and supermarket are all located in this remarkable city. This rugged edge of the town hides a heart full of warmth and comfort - or hyggligt as they say in Denmark - that is typified by Nordic hospitality.

You are immediately immersed in another world after arriving in Longyearbyen. As soon as the plane touches down, you can feel the cold Arctic air. The famous signpost at the airport reminds passengers how far they are from home and to be on the lookout for bears. Hjorthfjellet, a snow-capped peak on the other side of Adventfjorden that towers above the airport and the languid glaciers in northern Spitzbergen can be seen off to the distance.

The expedition ship will be waiting for you when you arrive. You will receive a mandatory safety briefing, followed by a lifeboat exercise. Then head to the outer decks for a champagne toast as you watch your vessel depart civilisation and set course for adventure.

North West Svalbard, one of Europe's largest wilderness protected areas, was designated a National Park in 1973. This area has a rich history that documents the first human settlements in Svalbard. William Barents' expedition, named after the Dutch legend who discovered the Barents Sea, was the first to arrive on the icy coasts of Svalbard. Barents noted that the sea was now safe from humans, but when he arrived in 1596 he saw the large number of seals and whales. Within a decade, English and Dutch whaling ships arrived to plunder the wildlife. This area was located at the intersection of land, water and ice and therefore, it made the ideal location to capture the gentle giants. The Dutch settlement Smeerenburg is one of the sites where whales were dismembered and rendered for the oil. You can still see the foundations of buildings and the remains of blubber-ovens from the 16th century. Other sites, such as Ytre Norskoya in the nearby area, show the dark side of industrialised slaughter. Hundreds of men who hoped for their fortunes were buried many miles away from home.

All that is left of this time period are the bones of humans and the few remnants. The region has been slowly reclaimed and transformed into a paradise for nature lovers. The Arctic poppy and the purple saxifrage flower despite the harsh conditions in summer. Geese and eider ducks, as well as other seabirds, return to the islands to rear their young. We can see walruses hauled on the beaches and watch out for polar bears roaming in this once wild area.