Pyramiden: Bike & Hike

Pyramiden is an abandoned Russian mining town in Svalbard located at 78° 41´N. It is on National Geographic´s list of top 10 ghost towns. It was abandoned in 1998 and when the people left they left in a hurry, taking only their private possessions and essentials. Today this town is a literal ghost town and it slowly and quietly wasting away. Visiting this place is like stepping into a time machine, where time was frozen when the Iron Curtain was still up. A monument to that time is the world’s northernmost statue of Lenin, left intact in the town’s parade ground.

The only way to visit this Pyramiden is by boat in the summertime or by snowmobile in the winter, crossing the sea ice when the fjord freezes. Currently there are a handful of Russians staying there for parts of the year to maintain a small guesthouse, where people can stay for a night or two.

If you go on an organized boat trip then one of the Russians will take you on a tour around the town and let you into the abandoned buildings. This place is definitely worth a visit and the surrounding nature, including mount Pyramiden and Nordenskiöld glacier, is spectacular.

Given that we are located quite close to Pyramiden, me and my girlfriend decided to take a trip there. Practically a summer vacation, we brought our camp stove to cook and a camera. Since we also run a bike rental we brought bikes along as well. There is a lot of road to ride on and makes getting around town really easy. If you are planning to do a similar trip be sure to rent a bike with us at Svalbard Bike Rental.