Coal mining built Longyearbyen and defined it for most of the twentieth century; Mine 3 is the place to understand what that meant. The guided tour takes you into the actual mine workings — helmets, headlamps, and a coal-dusty atmosphere included — and covers both the technical side of Arctic coal extraction and the human side: the accidents, the company-town social structure, and the gradual decline as cheaper sources elsewhere made Svalbard coal uneconomical.
Mine 3 operated from 1971 to 1996. The tour runs year-round and lasts about ninety minutes. Book in advance through local operators, as group sizes are limited.