Barentsburg

Barentsburg, on the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, is a Russian coal-mining town of about 500 people.

The ship moors in Barentsburg and we look up, more than 200 wooden steps lead up the hill to the mishmash collection of rectangular buildings that make up the town.

The streets of Barentsburg remain dead.

Ny-Ålesund and Barentsburg remain company towns with all infrastructure owned by Kings Bay and Arktikugol, respectively.

Transport from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg (convert) and Pyramiden (convert) is possible by snowmobile by winter, or by ship all year round.