The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

Russian Mine

If you’re looking for the world’s most northerly grand piano, then a trip to Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian coal-mining settlement in the Svalbard archipelago is in order.

The deserted town, which features a big, steeple-shaped Soviet monument, a children’s playground, a sports hall and, yes, a couple of pianos, functioned as recently as 1998 when the last of the coal was extracted.

Now you can visit by boat or snowmobile and Trust Arktikugol – the coal-mining company that operates on the islands there – has been renovating parts of the settlement to make the desolate and icy place more accommodating for tourists.

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

The strange ghost town of Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway