Folgefonna-Nationalpark

Folgefonna National Park (Norwegian Folgefonna nasjonalpark ), is a 545 km ² national park located in southwestern Norway. The park belongs to the municipalities Etne, Kvinnherad, Odda, Jondal and Ullensvang in the province of Hordaland.

It was founded in 2005 to protect the unique glacial landscape with its rich biodiversity and its various ecosystems. At the National Park borders the nature reserves Bondhusdalen, Buer and Hattebergsdalen. Folgefonna Glacier is the third largest glacier in Norway.

Geography, landscape and geology

The National Park extends, with few exceptions, over the entire glacier and which therefore exploiting dividend landscape, as both parts have a characteristic glacial flora and geology.

To the west of the park lies the Sildafjorden and the Reichsstrasse 48, east of the Sørfjorden and the imperial roads 13 and 550 in the south the Haukelivegen runs. The Folgefonn tunnel crosses under the glacier and through parts of the park.

Flora and Fauna

The damp climate and soils of the national park provide a relatively diverse vegetation. The most common plants are three-bladed rush, willow herb, stiff sedge, moss heath, snow bed sedge, and small sedge. The most fertile are the rainy areas west of the glacier. From the Sea to the tree line grow there also plants such as Common Foxglove, bog asphodel, bell heather, fern, Bergfarn and forest - wood rush. Rarely Strauss - saxifrage and purple gentian are also to be found.

The largest mammal in the park is the red deer, the very numerous found in the mountain forests west of the glacier. The most common birds in the park include ptarmigan, meadow pipit, golden eagle, rough-legged buzzard and. In the largely pristine coastal forests also lives the white-backed woodpecker.

Tourism and Management

The glacier is a popular skiing and hiking area. The Norwegian Trekking Association maintains numerous ways and overnight cabins Sauabrehytta, Fonnabu, Breidablkk and Holmaskjer.

Gallery

Satellite image of the Folgefonna

The Buer glacier tongue of the Folgefonna

Folgefonna with the Buer glacier and meltwater stream

The Bondhussee overlooking the Bondhus glacier tongue