Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and administrative centre of Svalbard. Once an active coal-mining town, it is now better known for its university, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, as a base to see breathtaking glaciers and the Northern lights, and for scientific research.

We are taken on a tour by Wiggo Antonsen, a local taxi driver and sightseeing tour operator, who explains that the best part of Longyearbyen are the people and the sense of community.

“IN THIS TOWN, WE ARE 2,304 CITIZENS, BUT WE COME FROM 51DIFFERENT COUNTRIES” HE SAYS. “WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THIS PLACE IS THE COMBINATION OF PEACE, NO STRESS AND NO CRIME”.

In Svalbard there is virtually no such thing as a “local” inhabitant. Like Wiggo, who came from mainland Norway over a decade earlier, many have left behind more hectic lives for a chance to live in the icy north. It is an enticing mix of cultures, religions and beliefs that makes it uniquely colourful and inclusive.

And Wiggo clearly has no intention to leave anytime soon. “I came up here and I found out this was laid back and it’s a simple life. I’m going to stay here till I retire completely that’s for sure”.