Road to the Global Seed Vault

Why it works for the aurora

View

West and north over the Isfjord.

Darkness

Mostly dark sky, grade 2 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. Some light from a village, houses or a road nearby.

Aurora

Poleward of the usual auroral oval: aurora is often seen towards the south, even at midday in the polar night.

Getting there

Distance

About 4 km by road from the middle of Svalbard (estimate), roughly 5 min by car.

Coordinates

78.2360, 15.4900 · Open in OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Outside the settlement polar bear protection is required (Governor of Svalbard): go with a guide, not on your own.

Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Norway before a night drive. See our winter safety note.