Longyearbyen provides you with easy access to nature–-the Longyear Glacier, for instance, can be found just outside the neighborhood of Nybyen–-but that's not the only reason to explore Svalbard's administrative center, research hub, and tourism magnet. This was a coal mining town until the industry moved to nearby Svea, but the old mines still exist and can be visited, as can historic structures like the Svalbard Church.