Folgefonna National Park, which was created in 2005, is known for its dramatic and beautiful scenery. With its fjords, mountains, rivers, lakes and glacier arms, the Folgefonna peninsula is one of the top destinations in Norway.
Facts about Folgefonna
Folgefonna, Norway’s third biggest glacier, covers an area of 213.62 square kilometres. The area covered by the glacier comprises three areas: Nordre Folgefonna (25.41 sq. km) in the north, Midtre Folgefonna (8.93 sq. km) in the middle and Søndre Folgefonna (179.28 sq. km) in the south (Østrem et al. 1988). Folgefonna Summer Ski Centre is situated on Nordre Folgefonna. Folgefonna is a plateau glacier, i.e. it is situated on a high mountain plateau with offshoots extending down into the surrounding valleys. The Bondhusbreen, Buerbreen and Blomsterskardsbreen glaciers are Folgefonna's best known glacier arms. These three plateau glaciers cover the mountainous areas between the Sørfjord, the Åkrafjord and the Hardangerfjord. Folgefonna’s highest point is 1,662 metres and the lowest is 400 metres. The average thickness of the ice is believed to be around 155 metres (Tvede 1997). The ice on the Bondhusbreen glacier has been measured at 160 metres thick. On Blåbreen glacier, the ice is up to 300 metres thick. At the summit of Nordre and Søndre Folgefonna, the ice is probably up to 500 metres thick. This has not been measured but has been calculated on the basis of the area's topography. Folgefonna’s location close to the coast means that it is what is called a maritime glacier. It is on this basis that Folgefonna has been called a ‘glaciological deviant’. (Folgefonni Breførarlag)