The charm of an Arctic vacation

The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is the perfect place for travelers keen on frigid temperatures and total darkness

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Gorgeous, cold Svalbard
(Image credit: REUTERS/Anna Filipova)
(Image credit: (AP Photo/John McConnico)Originally used as a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries, Svalbard (an ancient Icelandic word meaning cold coast or cold edge) became a coal-mining hub in the)

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Anna Filipova))

Lauren Hansen
Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.