Mine 3 (Gruve 3)
Gruve 3
A coal mine that closed in 1996. Visitors follow a guide into the tunnels to experience the coal-mining life of Svalbard.
The coal mine is the reason Longyearbyen exists. Mine 3 operated until 1996, and today it is the only mine that visitors can enter. Dressed in work clothes and wearing headlamps, guests walk through low tunnels led by a guide. They see mining equipment and objects left behind by workers, and learn how hard miners labored at subzero temperatures. Visits require a paid group tour (about 3 hours, including transfers), which is relatively expensive and must be booked in advance. The mine also contains an experimental laboratory linked to the backup storage of the seed vault.
Opening hours
Guided tours only, about 1–2 sessions daily
Nearby sights
- Platåberget
- Svalbard Global Seed Vault
- Larsbreen & Sarkofagen
- Longyearbreen Glacier Hike
- Polar Bear Warning Sign
- Huset
- Galleri Svalbard
- Svalbard Brewery