Cruises visiting Liefdefjorden (Norway)

Liefdefjorden lies at the extreme northern tip of Spitsbergen, nestling in the heart of the region’s fourth-largest fjord; literally meaning ‘the fjord of love’, this is a prophetic name, since the beauty of its wild landscapes and the riches of its fauna have quickly captivated the rare visitors who arrive in this haven of peace. Here, spectacular glaciers – including the Monaco Glacier, an homage to Albert I, Prince of Monaco, who fell in love with the island’s polar landscapes –, a mossy tundra, pebble beaches and old red sandstone cliffs dating back to the Devonian period (when Spitsbergen sat at the Equator) compete in grandeur. Reindeer guard the entrance to the fjord, while many bird colonies set up their quarters on the small islands that make it up. Sometimes, a white silhouette breaks away on the ice floe: a polar bear, the lord of the manor.