|
Longyearbyen is one of the biggest settlements of Svalbard. It is an industrial town where mining is still an important business. Longyearbyen is the actual capital of the nearby islands and features shopping centers, restaurants, hotels, airport, school and a lot more. The city was named after the famous American entrepreneur John Munro Long year.
The city of Longyearbyen is served by the Longyearbyen Svalbard Airport. From here the travelers can take flights to and from Tromso. Twice weekly , the airport also runs flights to Oslo during the high summer. The airport of Longyearbyen isvery well equipped with a cafeteria cum gift shop from where the travelers can buy anything without any tax. The airport also runs shuttle buses scheduled according to the flights arrival and departures. These buses will take you to almost all the hotels and guesthouses at a certain price. If you want you can come to Longyearbyen by boat. The port of the city is operated only during the summer when the ice recedes. The travelers can take weekly boats to Tromso. From here they can also go for daily cruising till Barentsburg.
The city of Longyearbyen has no public transport facility. Apart from the airport shuttle, the travelers can either rent a car or bike in order to move about in the city. Longyearbyen has a handful of attractions to see. The Svalbard gallery is the prime attraction. Here the travelers will find several exhibitions going on. They can also visit the workshops of various artists adjacent to the gallery.
Next is the Svalbard Museum which is housed in the Svalbard Science center. An extensive variety of exhibits on the history of the archipelago and the exotic flora and fauna of the region can be seen here. The prevalent activities of Longyearbyen include snowmobile safaris, kayaking, dog sledging, and hiking. Visit the Lompensenteret shopping mall where you can buy a souvenir or a gift for the dear ones back home. The city has a variety of restaurants among which Kroa, restaurant Nansen, Kafe Bussen, Classic Pizza and a few are quite famous. Quench your thirst at the Kroa Bar or the Nordpolet.
Travelers can check into any of the mid ranged, expensive or budget hotels according to their budget and preference. Travelers visiting Longyearbyen need to be safe from Polar bears especially when thy are in the outskirts of the Longyearbyen city.
travel.mapsofworld.com furnishes you with detailed information on Longyearbyen.
| 
