- Address: 5470 Rosendal, Norway
- Phone: +47 53 48 42 80
- Website: folgefonna.info
- Date of foundation of the park: April 29, 2005.
- Area of the park: 545.2 square meters. km
- Area of the glacier: 207 sq. Km. km
The Kingdom of Norway is very proud of its sights . After all, the main property of the country is its unique nature: snowy mountains, beautiful fjords , forests and, of course, glaciers . And if you combine all of the above, you get Folgefonna.
What is Folgefonna?
Folgefonna is the national park of Norway , which was opened on April 29, 2005 by the Queen of Sonia. The idea of the park is the protection of the Folgefonna glacier, one of the largest in the country. By area, it ranks third in Norway among all the continental glaciers. It is located in the province of Hordaland in the borders of the communes of Yondal, Quinnherad, Odda, Ullensvang and Etne.
There is a park in the south-west of the country, on the east side of Sildafjord, which is a branch of one of the largest fjords in the world - Hardanger . In 2006, studies and measurements were carried out, which showed that the area of the Folgefonna glacier is 207 square kilometers. km. Under the Folgefonna glacier is the tunnel of the same name, whose length is 11.15 km. Such engineering facilities are nowhere else in the world.
What is interesting Folgefonna Park?
The territory of the Folgefonna National Park covers almost the entire glacier of the same name. For lovers of ecotourism, the park will be interesting for a variety of species of flora and fauna. Lichens and mosses are found mainly in the highlands, and the coast covers coniferous forests. On the territory of the Folgefonna National Park you can find a golden eagle, woodpeckers, tundra partridge, a buzzard buzzard and a red deer. Also it is worth paying attention to the territory adjacent to the glacier, where special geological structures are located.
Features of the glacier
Folgefonna is the single name for the glaciers of Norde, Midtre and Sondre. It is located among the mountains and plains at an altitude of 1.5 km above sea level. Here skiers and snowboarders have a great time: the real ski center FolgefonnaSummer Ski Center is located on the glacier. It is open all calendar summer, you can take equipment for hire, get lessons from the coach and relax in a cafe.
Hikers have the opportunity to walk along the glacier accompanied by a guide and make a lot of great photos. On the glacier of Folgiffon built the longest funicular in Norway - 1.1 km, and the height difference reaches places 250 m.
Climbing to the top, you can admire the beautiful views. On the eastern side are the hills of Sørfjord and Hardanger, in the west - Hardangerfjord and the North Sea is visible. If you look to the south, then you will open the landscapes of the snow Alps.
Excursions around the glacier are designed for a bright day of one day: a whole network of tourist routes is arranged in the park. But for specially prepared travelers it is possible to organize a campaign for several days. To this end, the park has four high-altitude huts: Breidablik, Saubrehjutta, Fonaby and Holmaskier. Lovers of descent along the mountain rivers by canoe also have a lot of impressions.
How to get to Folgefonna?
To the south of the park is the European route E134 Haugesund - Drammen . Traveling independently, be guided by coordinates in the navigator: 60.013730, 6.308614.
The second option is the tunnel, which is a stretch of road 551. The glacial tunnel connects the city of Odda and the village of Eytrheim with the village of Austerplen in the commune of Quinnherad. This route is very convenient for those who travel from Oslo or Bergen .