From Svalbard to Iceland: A Polar Odyssey

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

Monaco Glacier (Monacobreen) enters Liefdefjorden in Haakon VII Land on the island Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard peninsula of Norway. The mouth of the glacier is about 1440 km north of the Arctic Circle. Liefdefjorden has a length of about 30 km. Read more about Monaco Glacier, Norway

Monaco Glacier (Monacobreen) enters Liefdefjorden in Haakon VII Land on the island Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard peninsula of Norway. The mouth of the glacier is about 1440 km north of the Arctic Circle. Liefdefjorden has a length of about 30 km. Read more about Monaco Glacier, Norway

Monaco Glacier (Monacobreen) enters Liefdefjorden in Haakon VII Land on the island Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard peninsula of Norway. The mouth of the glacier is about 1440 km north of the Arctic Circle. Liefdefjorden has a length of about 30 km. Read more about Monaco Glacier, Norway

Monaco Glacier (Monacobreen) enters Liefdefjorden in Haakon VII Land on the island Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard peninsula of Norway. The mouth of the glacier is about 1440 km north of the Arctic Circle. Liefdefjorden has a length of about 30 km. Read more about Monaco Glacier, Norway

Jan Mayen Island is an elongated volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway, lying 1,000 km west of the North Cape and at the same latitude. Its closest land mass is Greenland 450km distant, and 550km to the SW is Iceland. The island was discovered so often in ‘modern’ times – mostly by whalers – it has been given a dozen names. Read more about Jan Mayen Island , Norway

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

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

Husavik is a town in Norourþing municipality on the north coast of Iceland on the shores of Skjalfandi bay, that is about 15 km across. The town of around 2000 inhabitants depends mainly on fishing and tourism. It has become the centre of whale-watching in Iceland. Read more about Husavik, Iceland

Grundarfjordur is a growing community on the Breidafjordur fjord in Iceland. The town is considered unusually beautiful and well-kept, and has received several awards for its neat appearance. The region also has a reputation for a unique climate and unusually beautiful surroundings, as it is situated in front of an impressive mountain range with an alpine look. Read more about Grundarfjordur, Iceland

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