Svalbard: the most beautiful place (to photograph) on earth

One of Europe’s last remaining intact wilderness, Svalbard, found in Norway‘s most northern tip, will have you spellbound. Vast, rust-coloured plains are spotted with old Nordic galleons that reached their final resting post here. On the horizon, dramatic snow-capped mountains are wedged apart by magnificent, spiky glaciers, frozen in time from a prehistoric era.

There’s no sun in the winter months, but in the summer, northern lights frolic across the sky, gazed upon by polar bears who outnumber the human population.

Svalbard is closer to the North Pole than to Norway’s capital, Oslo. John Freeman, one of our new photographers, made the journey and was able to capture the magic of this awe-inspiring place.

Old ship's hull at Skansbukta in Billefjord.

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) on ice between Nordaustlandet and Kvitoya.

Spitsbergen Island

Polar bear cub (Ursus maritimus) on ice between Nordaustlandet and Kvitoya.

Icebreaker Polar Star moving through ice between Nordaustlandet and Kvitoya.

One more Polar bear! This one takes a break on one of the vast ice-scapes between Nordaustlandet and Kvitoya.

To see more stunning photography from John Freeman, click here.

Visit our Svalbard gallery and see more amazing images at Lonely Planet Images.

To learn more about travelling to Svalbard, visit Lonely Planet.