The Golden Compass, the new fantasy flick based on Philip Pullman's novel, Northern Lights takes place in Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean sandwiched between Norway and the North Pole. Not only did the film give Nicole Kidman a chance to utilize her over-Botoxed ice queen persona, but it gives the chain of islands, now in an almost constant state of twilight, its day in the sun.
For every outlandish, fictional inhabitant, Svalbard has a more realistic counterpart. While the real polar bears wear less bronze armor than the ones in the film, they still wander the tundra in search of warm meat, which is why it's mandatory to travel the wilderness with an armed guide.
About 3,000 bears--one of the densest populations of polars in the world--live near Svalbard, up from 1,000 in 1973, when hunting them was banned. Also on the agenda are outdoor activities, like dog sledding and hot air ballooning, that give the whole "lost in a frozen land of wonder and mystery" feel.
Related Stories:
· Northern Exposure In The Arctic [Telegraph]
· Svalbard Tourism Board [Official Site]
· Movie Set Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: stiangd]]]>