Pyramiden

Pyramiden was, until about 20 years ago, a Russian mining colony at the north end of the Isfjorden in Svalbard.  

The 1200 people living there (miners, their families, administrative staff - and KGB folks) had access to amazing facilities - including the world’s most northernly swimming pool and a cultural centre (with the world’s most notherly grand piano) and even an indoor farm with cows, sheep, pigs and chickens.  

Then suddenly in 1998 the mines and the colony was abandoned and pretty much left to rot and rust.  

There is now a little hotel and about 20 people living there permanently.  During the winter you can get to Pyramiden by ski-mobile and in summer, once the ice clears, by boat.  

I booked my trip with the caveat that “you probably won’t get there” - however my boat (a little icebreaker) did manage to break its way through the final stretch of ice so we were the first tourists to visit since the end of March.

4543