Folgefonna National Park

Folgefonna National Park
Location:	Vestland , Norway
Next city:	Odda , Jondal , Rosendal
Surface:	545 km²
Founding:	April 29, 2005
	The national parks in southern Norway (The Folgefonna has number 1)
	The Bondhusbreen with the Fynderdalshorga (back) and the Bondhus lake (front)
	i3 i6

The Folgefonna National Park ( Norwegian Folgefonna nasjonalpark ) is a 545 km² national park in southwestern Norway . The park belongs to the municipalities of Etne , Kvinnherad and Ullensvang in the province of Vestland .

It was founded in 2005 to protect the unique glacier landscape with its great biodiversity and its different ecosystems. The nature reserves Bondhusdalen , Buer and Hattebergsdalen border the national park . The Folgefonna Glacier is the third largest glacier in Norway.

Geography, landscape and geology

With a few exceptions, the national park extends over the entire glacier and the surrounding landscape, as both parts have a characteristic glacier flora and geology.

To the west of the park is Sildafjorden and Reichsstrasse 48 , to the east of Sørfjorden and Reichsstrasse 13 and 550 . The Haukelivegen runs in the south . The Folgefonn tunnel crosses under the glacier and leads through parts of the national park.

Flora and fauna

The humid climate and soils in the national park allow for a relatively diverse vegetation. The most widespread plants are three-leaf bulrush , herb willow , stiff sedge and cranberry , the plant community of the Kleinseggenried occurs regularly . The lush vegetation is found in the rainy areas west of the glacier. From the sea to the tree line, plants such as red foxglove , leg breaker , bell heather , rib fern , mountain fern and forest grove grow there . Ostrich saxifrage and purple gentian are also rather rare .

The largest mammal in the park is the red deer , which is very numerous in the mountain forests west of the glacier. The most widespread birds in the park are ptarmigan , meadow pipit , golden eagle , and buzzard . The white-backed woodpecker also lives in the largely untouched coastal forests .

Tourism and administration

The glacier is a popular skiing and hiking area. The Norwegian Trekking Association maintains numerous trails and the Sauabrehytta , Fonnabu , Breidablikk and Holmaskjer overnight huts .

Picture gallery

Aerial view of the Folgefonna
Satellite image of the Folgefonna
The glacier tongue Buerbreen des Folgefonna
The Folgefonna with the Buerbreen glacier tongue and the meltwater stream
The Bondhussee with a view of the Bondhus glacier tongue

literature

Sven Bjørne-Larsen, Anne Rudsengen. Jostedalsbreen and Folgefonna (= Norges nasjonalparker. Vol. 4). Gyldendal, Oslo 2008, ISBN 978-82-05-37899-5 .

Web links

Commons : Folgefonna - collection of images, videos and audio files