Kongsfjorden

Kongsfjorden runs into the northwest of Spitsbergen with glaciers calving into its head and the three pointed peaks known as Tre Kroner, the Three Crowns, standing above them. Ny-Ålesund on its southern shore is the world's northernmost year-round research settlement, a former mining town now shared by institutes from a dozen countries, and the mast Amundsen and Nobile moored their airships to still stands outside it.

Background

The fjord is 26 kilometres long and 6 to 14 kilometres wide, with the glaciers Kronebreen and Kongsvegen at its head. Ny-Ålesund on the southern shore is one of the few permanent settlements on Spitsbergen and a frequent stop for cruise ships, whose exhaust, say the scientists measuring CO2 there, disturbs their readings. Jonas Poole named the inlet Deer Sound in 1610, and English whalers used that name until at least 1658; around 1710 Giles and Rep called it Koninks Bay, and William Scoresby turned that into Kings Bay in 1820. It has been a Ramsar site since 24 July 1985.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kongsfjorden"

The landscape

• The Three Crowns - the three pointed peaks above the fjord head.
• The calving glaciers - the ice fronts at the inner end of the fjord.
• Ny-Ålesund - the northernmost year-round research settlement.
• The airship mast - the mooring tower used by Amundsen and Nobile in the 1920s.

When to go

June to September is the open-water season when ships call. Winter access is by scheduled flight for station personnel only. Midnight sun runs late April to late August.

What to expect

Ny-Ålesund is a working research base, not a destination: casual visits are not possible and cruise landings are tightly controlled. Radio silence rules mean phones and wireless devices must be switched off. Weather governs everything.

Nearby

Ny-London is across the fjord, and Northwest Spitsbergen National Park is north.

Key facts