Arctic Island Odyssey - Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland

Longyearbyen lies on the river Longyearelva on the Norwegian Island of Spitsbergen high in the Arctic. It is the world’s northern-most town, as all settlements further north are research or meteorological outposts. The modern town, fringed by abandoned mining detritus, enjoys a superb backdrop including two glacier tongues, Longyearbreen and Lars Hjertabreen. Read more about Longyearbyen, Norway

Ny-Ålesund is one of four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago in the Kingdom of Norway. It is administered by Kings Bay company, a Norwegian government enterprise. Lying within the Arctic Circle just 1255 km from the North Pole, it is the northernmost functional civilian settlement in the world, with a population varying from 35 to 180 (winter to summer). Read more about Ny-Alesund, Norway

Scoresby Sund is a large fjord system in East Greenland, 400 km directly north of Iceland, and above the Arctic Circle. The mouth of the sound is 30 km wide, and it extends about 200 km inland where it branches into a tree-like structure extending about 350 km far inland. The depth ranges from 400 to 1450 m. Read more about Scoresby Sund, Greenland

Ittoqqortoormiit (“Big-House Dwellers”) is a settlement of around 450 (and declining) at the mouth of Scoresby Sund (Kangertittivaq fjord) in east Greenland. It lies 440 km due north of Iceland. The location had been settled in earlier times by Inuit, evidenced by ruins and other archaeological remains. Read more about Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

Reykjavik, the capital and largest city of Iceland, is the gateway to Iceland's stunning natural wonders, which range from ice fields to boiling thermal pools. The landscape on the island seems to be in a continual process of transformation much like its society, which blends Nordic tradition with sophisticated technology. On the waterfront see the open-air history of shipping disasters. Read more about Reykjavik, Iceland