Photo credit: Lauren Farmer
Cruise Franz Josef Land: Discover the Wild Arctic Under the Midnight Sun
Be one of the few people in the world to cruise the luminous world of the Midnight Sun as it hovers over the Arctic Circle. If this experience is on your Bucket List (and if it’s not, it should be), cross it off with a flourish on MIR’s Special North Pole: Top of the World trip – a unique cruise on the I/B 50 Years of Victory to the very top of the earth through the northernmost archipelago on earth, isolated Franz Josef Land.
The Franz Josef Land Islands: Secluded and Under-Explored
Located far above the Arctic Circle, some 470 miles away from the Eurasian mainland, the 191 islands that make up Franz Josef Land are some of the most secluded and under-explored locales on earth.
Discovered only 150 years ago, the volcanic, glaciated archipelago was once an important stopping point for famous polar explorers making the dangerous (and often deadly) passage to the North Pole. In August 2016, as a spectacular National Geographic photo essay explains, the Russian government included these remote islands in the Russian Arctic National Park, or zapovednik.
Your Unmatched View of the Midnight Sun
Most people have never experienced the Midnight Sun – you have to be close to the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line where the sun doesn’t set on the summer solstice, nor rise on the winter solstice. There’s not a lot of land above the Arctic Circle, but there’s plenty of ocean.
More Than Just Your Average Cruise Ship
And where there’s ocean, there are cruise ships. But not just any cruise ship can venture into these icy waters. Specially strengthened hulls make Arctic vessels capable of negotiating seas that are normally dotted with floating sea ice or icebergs calved from Arctic glaciers.
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Fantastic Views and Fjords
Enjoy fantastic views of rugged icebergs and glacier-capped peaks as you cruise north through the Barents Sea. Make a stop at the Russian polar station Nagurskoye in wildlife-rich Cambridge Bay. Explore the spectacular fjords and narrow channels of western Spitsbergen, where glaciers calve and Arctic fox lurk in the tundra vegetation.
Walk in the Footsteps of Famous Polar Explorers
Franz Josef Land also offers visitors the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of famous polar explorers at well-preserved historical sites. Expert lecturers help you imagine the unimaginable at far-flung monuments, crosses and the lonely remains of emergency dwellings.
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Walk in the footsteps of famous polar explorers in Franz Josef Land.
Anthony Smith
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Travel pioneers in their expedition parkas aboard a Zodiac landing craft.
Jonathan Zaccaria
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An Arctic shore excursion with an expert.
Anthony Smith
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Expert lecturer aboard the ship as it sails the Barents Sea.
Anthony Smith
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Photo-Ready Wildlife: Walrus, Polar Bears, Puffins and More
Make landfall by Zodiac or kayak to discover the vast array of wildlife that this area plays host to, from colonies of walrus to the mightiest hunter of the north, the polar bear.
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You can take advantage of the 24-hour daylight and explore the cliffs around the islands, which are host to enormous nesting colonies of auks and migratory seabirds – including some rare species
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Cruise to Franz Josef Land with MIR
MIR has 30 years of travel experience to Russia, with affiliate offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Siberia offering on-the-ground support and tour managers that clients rave about. MIR’s full service, dedication, commitment to quality, and destination expertise have twice earned us a place on National Geographic Adventure’s list of “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.”
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