Christian Bruttel

Managing Director, Guide & Owner

Growing up in the charming town of Villingen in the Black Forest (southwestern Germany), Christian discovered his interest in foreign cultures and long distant travelling, before and during his teacher training.

After completing his second state examination, he followed a long-growing fascination for the Arctic to Svalbard. He completed his studies to become an Arctic Nature Guide in 2013. Since then, he has been living in Longyearbyen and working as a guide all over Svalbard.

He finds his greatest joy in making the Arctic nature and stunning landscapes accessible to people that would otherwise remain inaccessible to them. He brings them closer to the beauty and fragility of the ecosystem.

Fabienne Meier

Office & Guide

Fabienne was born and raised in Switzerland - near Zurich. From an early age she spent a lot of time in nature. Skiing and snowboarding or hiking and climbing in the Alps. The perfect balance to her everyday life with education, work and synchronized skating.

After ten years in the financial industry, she decided to quit her job and fulfill a long-awaited dream: Backpacking around the world. Fabienne visited 13 countries on this trip - and fell in love with the world even more. New countries, cultures and languages arouse her curiosity and fill her with joy. Following the call of the Nordic nature, Fabienne worked as a diving guide in Iceland for one year before she was drawn further and moved to Svalbard.

The indescribable peace and vastness of the Arctic still captivates her. Sharing this experience with others, being part of making people's dreams come true, is something very special for Fabienne and a unique experience every time.

Sylvia Groß

Guide & IT

Born and raised in Bonn, Sylvia traveled north for the first time in 2012 - and she planned to spend a lot more time there.

After her studies, she finally turned her back on Germany in 2017 to live and work permanently in the Arctic. So she already has two winters behind her as a dog sled guide in Finland, lived in remote East Greenland with the Inuit, sailed in the pack ice and wintered at 78°N in a tent.

In 2019 she finished her one-year study to become an Arctic Nature Guide (ANG) on Svalbard and when she is not on ships in the Arctic and Antarctic, she takes guests on journeys into the depths of Svalbard and likes to share her fascination for the vastness, silence and magic of the far north.

Chewbacca (Chewie)

Office

Growing up at one of the local dogyards Chewbacca decided quite early that the working dog life is not for him.

Knowing that his father had found a loving home after his retirement, he knew exactly what to do to win the heart of Kat. He now spends his days lounging in the sun at the Polar Bear Lodge, going on hikes through the beautiful arctic, and being the most valuable colleague at Spitzbergen Reisen.

By barking, he demands the mandatory cuddle times from anyone that can spare a minute.

Kat Beutner

Office & Logistic

Already at a very young age, Katharina was able to travel the globe, experience new peoples, cultures and landscapes, all of which have formed her into a true jack of all trades.

Her born curiosity and unstoppable drive for new things first brought her to the German Baltic Sea and later for her studies to Scotland where the opportunity arose to spend a few semester on Svalbard. As soon as she set foot onto the island (literally at the airport) she was already in love with the landscape, wildlife and the people calling this unique place her home and decided that she wanted to stay here. During her research times, focussing on Sea Ice, she was able to join international projects such as the famous MOSAIK, but just as much she enjoys helping local companies either as an outdoor guide, translator or keeping logistics running.

In her free time she's always on the go and can hardly hold still, hence why she enjoys being outside with her dog Chewbacca either on foot, ski or dog sled. For her no weather is too cold, no polar night too dark, or mountain too high.

Jonas Märkle

Marketing & Guide

Jonas comes from near Stuttgart and gained his first experience of the Scandinavian winter during his semester abroad in Gävle, Sweden. There he hiked through Swedish forests and climbed Norwegian mountains.

After finishing his media studies, he first went to work in the German economy, but the desire for distance and adventure never completely disappeared. Having become aware of Spitsbergen Travel through an Arte report, it didn't take long for him to send out a speculative application. Today, he is responsible for everything to do with marketing and social media at Spitsbergen Reisen.

Katja Scholz

Office & Guide

Although Katja is a native of southern Lower Saxony, she has always had a keen interest in getting to know and discovering other exciting places, people and cultures.

Professionally, she was first drawn to Great Britain, before a chance encounter during a business trip brought her to Spitsbergen. A holiday turned into weeks and later a move to Longyearbyen, where Katja felt truly at home for the first time.

Being outdoors and in nature is simply the greatest thing for her. Katja finds it especially great to go on long hikes or to observe animals from the ship and to let her eyes wander across the wide landscape.

She likes life reduced to the essentials, with a little comfort and a lot of nature - because what does it take to be really happy?

Jonas Bühl

Guide

Also, like Christian, Jonas grew up in the homely town of Villingen in the Black Forest. After his youth, he moved to Munich, where he completed his Abitur. The proximity to the mountains led Jonas to spend more and more time in nature. During summer, he went on countless hikes and in the winter he had the opportunity to teach snowboarding for several years. Experiencing adventures always ranked first for Jonas, and so he traveled to countries like Azerbaijan, Sudan, but also Iceland, where the high latitudes fascinated him for the first time.

Travelling and the thirst for knowledge about how our world works, how the weather comes about etc. finally led Jonas to start studying Geophysics & Meteorology in Cologne. Right at the beginning of his studies, he heard about the possibility of spending a semester abroad on Spitsbergen, where he ended up at the beginning of January 2022. The incredible vastness, the untouched nature, the silence, and the people immediately captivated Jonas, so he decided to stay longer.

He is looking forward to sharing this new passion with others and letting them benefit from his knowledge!

Luise Schott

Guide

Growing up in Berlin, Luise was always looking for the next adventure outside the big city. She was able to gather many exciting and intense impressions on her travels around the world. Learning to love and appreciate nature was also made possible for her from a young age through lots of sailing, skiing and hiking.

After school, studying biology was the perfect way to combine her passion for the outdoors with science. On the lookout for her next adventure, she got the opportunity to study in Spitsbergen and was immediately hooked. While continuing to pursue her interest in wildlife, she now had the opportunity to experience all sides of Svalbard through hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, and field work.

Still not having seen enough of the nature, she decided to stay longer and is looking forward to sharing her joy and fascination for life in the Arctic with other people.

Patrick Kunzet

Guide

Patrick grew up near Munich and thus had the Alps almost in his backyard. Accordingly, he was often drawn south to pursue various sporting activities - be it hiking or mountain biking. During his sports science studies in Munich, he already started working as a guide: in winter, he led his guests on snowshoes through snowy winter landscapes, and in summer he exchanged the snowshoes for (rafting) boats.

After some travels - among others through Canada and Iceland - Patrick slowly but surely turned his head towards the beauty of Nordic landscapes and the nature there. Therefore, he first completed a semester abroad in Oslo, where he studied "Friluftsliv" (outdoor life) and travelled through Norway. After studying sports science, he then went to the far north to study to become an "Arctic Nature Guide" on Svalbard.

Since then, he has been able to share his passion for the north and its unique nature with his guests, making these unique experiences in a unique environment possible. Patrick loves being out and about in the breathtaking beauty of the Arctic wilderness, whether on foot, kayak or ski. But it is also the moments of silence and tranquillity in the wonderful nature that he cherishes and enjoys.

Inga Zurhelle

Office & Guide

Inga grew up in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, but was already fascinated by other countries and cultures as a child. She loves long hikes and is most excited about the animals that cross her path.

After stays abroad in Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia, it was clear that she wanted to study tourism. Instead of city tours in the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, she is now doing her internship in beautiful Svalbard and will gladly infect you with her fascination for the extraordinary.

Philipp Scheiner

Guide

Despite growing up in snow-poor Frankfurt, Philipp has always been enthusiastic about nature and snow.

He often spent his holidays in the mountains, on the water or on his bike. Then, in 2021, he was drawn to Svalbard for a semester abroad at the University Centre (UNIS) as part of his physics studies. Since then, the fascination in Svalbard has not let him go. He spent several semesters here and not only started travelling with friends, but is also absolutely thrilled to explore and experience the surroundings with guests.

His favourite thing to do is skiing of any kind - he especially enjoys tours with skis and pulka on snowy slopes or on frozen fjords. In summer, he enjoys tours on foot or by kayak, and in autumn he discovers the meltwater channels of the glaciers in the area.

Daria Paul

Guide

Born and raised on the Lower Rhine, Daria grew up with hiking and camping holidays in Scandinavia. For her physics studies, she first went to the big city of Cologne, but on her travels she was always drawn to nature: on skis or on foot in the mountains, on the water or by bike. For example, she went to Patagonia, Nepal or to the Canary Islands for diving guide training.

Her studies brought Daria to Svalbard for the first time in 2019 and she was immediately captivated by this wonderful island. For her, it is the perfect place to combine her enthusiasm for natural science with the joy of being outside.

She loves to share this enthusiasm with others and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with you.