Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Folgefonna National Park (Norway). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Folgefonna, Søndre Folgefonna, and Nordre Folgefonna. Also, be sure to include Bondhusbreen in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Folgefonna National Park (Hordaland).
Table of Contents
Folgefonna
Glacier in Norway. Folgefonna is a collective term for three plateau glaciers in the Hardanger region of Vestland county, Norway. They are located on the Folgefonna peninsula in the municipalities of Ullensvang, Kvinnherad, and Etne. The three glaciers are:
- Nordre (northern) Folgefonna, with an area of 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi)
- Midtre (central) Folgefonna, with an area of 11 square kilometres (4.2 sq mi)
- Søndre (southern) Folgefonna, with an area of 167 square kilometres (64 sq mi), making it the third largest glacier in the mainland of Norway.
In total, Folgefonna covers about 207 km2 (80 sq mi) (measured in 2006). On 14 May 2005, Folgefonna National Park was established, protecting the glaciers and the surrounding areas.
The glacier is home to a summer skiing resort, located on its northern region. The largest outflow glaciers from Folgefonna are Blomstølskardbreen, Bondhusbreen, and Buarbreen. Since around 1960, Blomstølskardbreen on the southern end of Folgefonna has changed very little. Bondhusbreen and Buerbreen further north were growing in the 1990s, but have been retreating since the year 2000. The glacier is a famous tourist attraction. Most people who visit the town of Odda usually take the walk to Buarbreen (a part of Folgafonna).
The melt-water from this glacier is bottled at source to form the product Isklar. The melt-water also goes down the river from Buarbreen down into the lake Sandvinvatnet.[1]
Søndre Folgefonna
Glacier in Norway. Søndre Folgefonna is the third largest glacier in mainland Norway, and is the largest of the three glaciers constituting Folgefonna. The glacier is located at the base of the Folgefonna peninsula in Vestland county in the border of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Etne, and Kvinnherad. The highest point on the glacier is 1,660 m above sea level and its lowest point is 490 m above sea level. The glacier is located inside Folgefonna National Park.[2]
Nordre Folgefonna
Glacier in Norway. Nordre Folgefonna is one of the largest glaciers in mainland Norway. It is the northernmost of the three glaciers that make up Folgefonna. The glacier is located on the Folgefonna peninsula in the Hardanger and Sunnhordland regions of Vestland county. The 26-square-kilometre glacier lies in the municipalities of Kvinnherad and Ullensvang. Its highest point is 1,640 m above sea level, and its lowest point is 990 m above sea level. The glacier lies almost entirely inside Folgefonna National Park.[3]
Bondhusbreen
Also known as: Bondhusbrea
Glacier in Norway. The Bondhusbreen is a glacier in Kvinnherad Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The glacier is an offshoot of the vast Folgefonna glacier, and it lies inside the Folgefonna National Park. The glacier has a length of around 4 kilometres and a height difference of about 1,100 metres from its highest to its lowest points.
The glacier is located at the end of a small valley (named Bondhusdalen), just south of the village of Sundal on the shore of the Maurangsfjorden. Water draining under the glacier is caught through a tunnel and exploited in the Mauranger Hydroelectric Power Station.[4]
Buarbreen
Glacier accessible by a steep climb. Buarbreen or Buerbreen is a glacier in Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is an offshoot of the large Folgefonna glacier. The small glacial arm reaches down into the Buerdalen valley, just 6 kilometres southwest of the town of Odda. The glacier is split into two parts, one on either side of a small mountain peak. Both sides drain into the Jordalselvi river which flows out through the valley into the lake Sandvinvatnet.[5]
Folgefonna Tunnel
The Folgefonna Tunnel is a 11,150-meter long road tunnel in Vestland county, Norway. The tunnel connects the village of Eitrheim and the town of Odda at the head of Sørfjorden in Ullensvang Municipality to the village of Austrepollen at the head of Maurangsfjorden in Kvinnherad municipality. The tunnel runs under the large Folgefonna glacier and Folgefonna National Park. The tunnel opened in 2001 and is Norway's fourth longest road tunnel. It reduced travel time between these two places from four hours all the way down to ten minutes. It is part of County Road 49.
In year 2012, the 10.4-kilometre (6.5 mi) long Jondal Tunnel was built a short distance from this tunnel. Using these two tunnels and a ferry, the road distance between the E134 highway in the town of Odda and the city of Bergen is much shorter than before. Using this route to travel from Oslo to Bergen is shorter than taking the E16 highway, and this route is much less sensitive to snow storms in the winter (which is fairly long in the mountains) than by taking Norwegian National Road 7 (which is the shortest route between Oslo and Bergen).[6]