3-day Weekend in a Ghost Town by RIB - Grumant Arctic Travel Co.

Get into the Arctic time-machine for a weekend - visiting the Soviet period settlement Pyramiden - a unique place with the ambience of the past century.

To those who wish to discover the most extraordinary places in the world, you’ve never experienced anything alike. On our way we have a stop on the other side of Isfjorden in Skansebukta, one of the finest bays in the fjord. In the afternoon we will reach Pyramiden - a populated settlement in Svalbard until the end of the 90s, and now it is an Arctic time machine and open-air museum where you can easily get a feeling of the Soviet-style as the atmosphere and exteriors of the settlement have been accurately preserved.

With a panorama filled with the massive Nordenskiöldbreen glacier, moraines, mountain tops, the whole Arctic dream is mirrored in Pyramiden.

On the way back to Longyearbuen you will have the chance to explore Brucebyen, the most important cultural heritage site today from the Scottish activities in Spitsbergen.

About the tour:
- English- and Russian- speaking guides will accompany you throughout the whole tour from start to finish.
- Departures every Friday
- Small groups with no more than 6-8 persons in each group.

Included:
- Bus transfers from/to  your place of accommodation (or to the airport) in Longyearbyen on Day 1 and Day 3
- Activities and boat transport by open RIB boats PolarCirkel (Pyramiden, Skansbukta, Nordenskjolda Glacier, Brucebyen)
- Accommodation according to the program (2 nights)
- Meals according to the program (2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner)
- Guided tours around the settlement: Pyramiden
- Visit to the cinema vault in Pyramiden
- Hiking according to the program
- Rent of survival suits from Helly Hansen and safety equipment incl. portable radio set, satellite phone, GPS-navigator, warning bacon, etc.
- Insurance covering search and rescue, evacuation costs in case of emergency

Program

Day 1. Friday
The day starts at 8:30 when our guides will meet you, pick you up at your hotel in Longyearbyen and drive to the expedition center Russkiy Dom. You will go through the briefing prep of the safety and technique rules and will get into the special suits. We will head to the harbour to our open RIB boat to travel to Pyramiden. This day is dedicated to the bays and the sea. You will enjoy the picturesque variety of landscapes of the Northern Shore of Isfjorden and have a chance to see the sea mammals like walruses, seals and whales. It will be one of the most exciting days of the whole trip. You’ll have a guided tour in the settlement, learn the history of the place, visit well preserved buildings of Canteen, School and Kindergarten, Swimming pool and restored Cultural House with a warm cafeteria. The atmosphere of enthusiasm and nostalgia will be there with you at the place that has been revived in the middle of nowhere by hands and hearts of the 21st century polar people. Then, before you have dinner and get to your cozy bed you will be able to enjoy the evening on the sofas with a screening of documentary films about Pyramiden's past times. There is no internet or phone connection in the settlement, so for some people it becomes a digital detox where everyday technological gadgets do not interrupt sincere conversations and pure fun.​
Overnight stay at the hotel in Pyramiden.

Day 2.  Saturday
After a good night's sleep and a nice breakfast you will head to Pyramiden mountain - the signature of the whole region. Its form reminds you of man-made pyramids, even though the architect was the Arctic wind. From a height of 937 meters, you will see not only the settlement itself but also the whole region of Billefjorden with its land and sea glaciers, sharpened summits and limitless Lomonosov plateau – the glacial plateau with a surface area over 600 sq.km. wide.

As an alternative itinerary, there is a route to the Table Mountain (Yggdrasilkampen) rich on variety of the reliefs, close to the Jotunfonna glacier and with a breath-taking view of Pyramiden and of course, Nordenskiöldbreen glacier.

Depending on the weather and the itinerary the lunch will be served either in the hotel or in the field. For dinner you can choose your own dishes from a soviet style menu in the hotel restaurant.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Pyramiden.

Day 3.  Sunday
One of the best ways to explore the region is to walk and hike in the surroundings of Pyramiden which is very special and various in its mountain landscapes. There is a number of routes on every taste and level of training. After the hike you can visit our souvenir shop and send a card form one of the northernmost post offices in the world. Before heading to Longyearbyen, we will get a chance to admire the massive Nordenskiöldbreen glacier and get a glimpse of Brucebyen – the Scottish coal mining settlement abandoned in the late 20th century.

Note! On Svalbard weather conditions are changing quickly so that is why for the safety and comfort of our guests, the tour program might be changed regarding the itineraries and destinations.

For booking and details please see: www.goarctica.com/weekend-in-a-ghost-town