Polar bears and the midnight sun are drawing tourists to Svalbard in the Norwegian archipelago, write Daniel Frykholm and Elinor Schang.

　　Be sure to take up the locals' offer to rent you a World War II Mauser if you plan to stray off the beaten track in Svalbard, one of the world's most northerly tourist destinations.

　　While the polar bears are a major draw to the Norwegian archipelago -- along with husky-drawn sleigh rides under the midnight sun and expeditions to the North Pole -- nature lovers are advised not to go unarmed outside Svalbard's capital, Longyearbyen. Although attacks are rare, in 1996 one woman was killed by a bear and another injured when they ignored the warnings. Holidaying in Svalbard is not for the faint-hearted. A group of hikers walking on a glacier fell through a crevasse at Easter and a group of tourists had to be airlifted by helicopter after their boat ran aground in an icy fjord. ``So what's on tomorrow's schedule, getting eaten by polar bears?'' joked a British tourist after returning safely to his hotel from the boat trip.

　　Longyearbyen, a coal-dust caked town situated among snowy peaks and icy landscapes at 78 degrees north between the Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea, has only 1,700 inhabitants. Many people who visit often return. ``I've been all over the world. Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Venezuela, the Caribbean. But this is the only place I've come to twice. I was entranced,'' said a silver-haired Swede.

　　Once a stopover for whalers and explorers, coal quickly took over as Svalbard's main business when the American John M. Longyear founded the first mine in 1906. Today just three mines are still active. These days, some of the tens of thousands of tourists who visit each year use Svalbard as a base for expeditions to the North Pole, 1,000 kilometers away. Most of the people who live here love the fact that the sun never sets between April and August and does not rise at all from October to February.

　　"I was driving my team of dogs over the Foxfonna glacier one (winter) day. There was a bluish glow from the northern lights, the moon and the stars. I didn't even need a torch and it was all quiet. It was one of the most intense experiences of my life,'' said a Swede identified herself as Therese, who is working in Longyearbyen. But such days are an exception and summer comes as a relief, she added.

　　The archipelago, slightly smaller than Ireland, is also home to some 900 Russian coal miners and, in the high season, around 2,500 polar bears. At the local shopping mall tourists can rent rifles left over from the German occupation in World War II -- still stamped with a swastika -- in case of attacks.

　　Eating a polar bear could be almost as bad as being attacked by one. Parasites in the meat have been known to kill, though some local restaurants are rumored to serve it if diners sign a waiver promising not to sue. Seal, whale and reindeer are more commonplace on the menus of Longyearbyen's three gourmet establishments. Seal tastes a bit like liver and washes down nicely with one of the 25,000 bottles of wine in Huset's cellar which doubles as Longyearbyen's only nightclub. (Reuters)

　　Longyearbyen, one of the world's most northerly tourist destinations, is a coal-dust caked town situated among snowy peaks and icy landscapes in Norway. -- Reuters