Want to break free-ze?
Americans looking for a sudden change of scenery can move immediately to one idyllic, low-tax European destination without having to splash out the investment cash or get in line for a residency permit — providing they’re cool with long, dark winters.
Svalbard, a frigid and beautiful 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 simply book a flight and stay forever — with a few ground rules, of course.
To live in Europe’s only visa-free zone, where the largest town, Longyearbyen, tops out at just over 2,000 people, self-sufficiency is key, due to scarce job opportunities.
Housing is also expensive, even for Norway, one of the priciest countries on earth — if you can find a space, that is.
The region experiences what’s known as “polar night” for a whopping 84 days a year — sunseekers, look elsewhere — and residents are required to carry weapons when they leave town, in case they’re confronted by aggressive polar bears.
Other than that, life in Svalbard is pretty great, local resident Cecelia Blomdahl told the Daily Mail recently.
The Swedish author, who packed up her life in relatively balmy Gothenburg and moved to the frozen, far flung territory in 2015, cited “stunning nature” and a local population that loves to celebrate seasons and holidays together as reasons she’s in no rush to head back to the Nordic mainland.
She even loves the darkest months, she revealed.
“Each season has its own unique magic, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the polar night. It’s a special time of year when 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 major party in the village, Blomdahl said.
“Everyone gathers by the old hospital staircase, the first spot where the sun’s rays touch as they come around the mountain for the first time in four months. Together, we sing and cheer to celebrate 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 can spot all sorts of whales as well as walruses lounging on the beaches.”
Remote workers are well catered for here, she noted, citing some of the world’s best internet speeds — thanks to the underwater fibre-optic cables running more than 500 miles from the Norwegian mainland, to serve KSAT, the “world’s largest satellite ground station,” which counts NASA among its clients.
