Wish to break free-ze?
Americans in search of a sudden change of scenery can move immediately to at least one idyllic, low-tax European destination without having to splash out the investment money or get in line for a residency permit — providing they’re cool with long, dark winters.
Svalbard, a frigid and exquisite archipelago governed by Norway but existing outside the EU-regulated Schengen Area, allows anyone with the fortitude required to live 400 miles from the North Pole to easily book a flight and stay endlessly — with a couple of ground rules, after all.
To live in Europe’s only visa-free zone, where the most important town, Longyearbyen, tops out at just over 2,000 people, self-sufficiency is essential, resulting from scarce job opportunities.
Housing can be expensive, even for Norway, one among the priciest countries on earth — for those who can discover a space, that’s.
The region experiences what’s generally known as “polar night” for a whopping 84 days a yr — sunseekers, look elsewhere — and residents are required to hold weapons once they leave town, in case they’re confronted by aggressive polar bears.
Apart from that, life in Svalbard is pretty great, local resident Cecelia Blomdahl told the Day by day Mail recently.
The Swedish writer, who packed up her life in relatively balmy Gothenburg and moved to the frozen, remote territory in 2015, cited “stunning nature” and an area population that likes to have a good time seasons and holidays together as reasons she’s in no rush to move back to the Nordic mainland.
She even loves the darkest months, she revealed.
“Each season has its own unique magic, but when I had to decide on a favourite, it will be the polar night. It’s a special time of yr after we sip coffee by moonlight, spend our days under star-filled skies, and, if we’re lucky, get treated to the breathtaking display of the Northern Lights,” she explained.
When the sun comes back, there’s a serious party within the village, Blomdahl said.
“Everyone gathers by the old hospital staircase, the primary spot where the sun’s rays touch as they arrive across the mountain for the primary time in 4 months. Together, we sing and cheer to have a good time the return of sunlight to our village after the long winter darkness,” she recounted.
Summers, the enthusiastic local noted, are magical. Then, she said, the fjords nearby are the place to be.
“You’ll be able to spot all forms of whales in addition to walruses lounging on the beaches.”
Distant staff are well catered for here, she noted, citing among the world’s best web speeds — because of the underwater fibre-optic cables running greater than 500 miles from the Norwegian mainland, to serve KSAT, the “world’s largest satellite ground station,” which counts NASA amongst its clients.
Wish to break free-ze?
Americans in search of a sudden change of scenery can move immediately to at least one idyllic, low-tax European destination without having to splash out the investment money or get in line for a residency permit — providing they’re cool with long, dark winters.
Svalbard, a frigid and exquisite archipelago governed by Norway but existing outside the EU-regulated Schengen Area, allows anyone with the fortitude required to live 400 miles from the North Pole to easily book a flight and stay endlessly — with a couple of ground rules, after all.
To live in Europe’s only visa-free zone, where the most important town, Longyearbyen, tops out at just over 2,000 people, self-sufficiency is essential, resulting from scarce job opportunities.
Housing can be expensive, even for Norway, one among the priciest countries on earth — for those who can discover a space, that’s.
The region experiences what’s generally known as “polar night” for a whopping 84 days a yr — sunseekers, look elsewhere — and residents are required to hold weapons once they leave town, in case they’re confronted by aggressive polar bears.
Apart from that, life in Svalbard is pretty great, local resident Cecelia Blomdahl told the Day by day Mail recently.
The Swedish writer, who packed up her life in relatively balmy Gothenburg and moved to the frozen, remote territory in 2015, cited “stunning nature” and an area population that likes to have a good time seasons and holidays together as reasons she’s in no rush to move back to the Nordic mainland.
She even loves the darkest months, she revealed.
“Each season has its own unique magic, but when I had to decide on a favourite, it will be the polar night. It’s a special time of yr after we sip coffee by moonlight, spend our days under star-filled skies, and, if we’re lucky, get treated to the breathtaking display of the Northern Lights,” she explained.
When the sun comes back, there’s a serious party within the village, Blomdahl said.
“Everyone gathers by the old hospital staircase, the primary spot where the sun’s rays touch as they arrive across the mountain for the primary time in 4 months. Together, we sing and cheer to have a good time the return of sunlight to our village after the long winter darkness,” she recounted.
Summers, the enthusiastic local noted, are magical. Then, she said, the fjords nearby are the place to be.
“You’ll be able to spot all forms of whales in addition to walruses lounging on the beaches.”
Distant staff are well catered for here, she noted, citing among the world’s best web speeds — because of the underwater fibre-optic cables running greater than 500 miles from the Norwegian mainland, to serve KSAT, the “world’s largest satellite ground station,” which counts NASA amongst its clients.
