Adventdalen

Adventdalen runs east from Longyearbyen as a broad flat-floored valley of braided river and tundra, and most of what supports the town sits in it: the dog yards, the old coal mine cableways on the slopes, the antenna field used for upper atmosphere research, and at its mouth the Global Seed Vault, driven into the permafrost of the mountainside to hold duplicate samples of the world's crop seed.

What you actually see

• The Global Seed Vault - the store driven into the permafrost at the valley mouth.
• The dog yards - the kennels that supply the sledding operations.
• The antenna field - the research masts used for upper atmosphere study.
• The braided river - the flat valley floor and its shifting channels.

When to go

March to May for snowmobile and dog sledding, June to September for walking. The valley is dark from November to February. Reindeer are present year round.

Honest expectations

The Seed Vault cannot be entered; only the entrance face is visible from outside. Polar bear risk begins where the road ends and protection is required. The valley floor is wet and braided in summer.

Nearby

Longyearbyen is west, and Trollsteinen rises to the south.