Longyearbyen is the largest city on the archipelago of Svalbard, home to around 2000 people. The archipelago is famous for its geology and fossils from almost all time periods in the history of life on Earth and has been the subject of palaeontological research since the 1800s.
2024 celebrates the 20th anniversary for the Spitsbergen Mesozoic Research Group at the Natural History Museum in Oslo. The group has excavated marine ecosystems from a large number of well-known marine reptile sites that will be visited on the conference field trips.
Nearly two thirds of the surface of Svalbard is protected, and it’s crucial to show caution for the wild animals living there.
Conference venue
The talks and sessions will be held at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), situated in the town of Longyearbyen.
Travel
Longyearbyen can be reached by plane from the Norwegian mainland, from either the city Oslo or via Tromsø. The companies SAS and Norwegian both fly a few times a day.
Rules for ID and visa to get to Svalbard can be found on this web page: Entry and residence | Governor of Svalbard (sysselmesteren.no)
Polar bears and safety
Svalbard has a large population of polar bears, an animal that can be dangerous to humans and also an endangered species that are protected by law. Within the Longyearbyen town, you can walk without protection, but outside the city an armed guide is necessary. We will supply more information on where to hire a guide in the circulars.
Safety rules:
- Take a taxi or bus between the city and the airport, do not walk
- If you want to explore the area around the city, hire a guide
Read more about safety at Svalbard here
Accommodation and more travel information
Our discounted rate for accommodation can be reached here: https://www.conferencemanager.dk/eavpkonferanse2024
If you wish to explore more of Svalbard, book other tours, or see different accommodation types please follow this link. https://en.visitsvalbard.com
We have agreed a discounted rate with Hurtigruten which run many of the hotels in Longyearbyen. Booking information for this will be released with the first circular. There are some smaller hostels and hotels also available in Longyearbyen. It is possible to camp at Longyearbyen campsite, but we would not recommend it, due to distance from the town (taxi required due to polar bears).