Hardangervidda National Park, also called Hardanger Plateau National Park in English and Hardangervidda nasjonalpark in Norwegian, is Norway's largest national park. It covers an area of 3,422 square kilometers (1,321 square miles). The park is located in three counties: Buskerud, Vestland, and Telemark. It stretches from the Uvdalen valley in Numedal to the Røvilseggi mountain ridge in Ullensvang Municipality, crossing the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. Established as a national park in 1981, it is now a popular place for visitors to enjoy activities like hiking, climbing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) manages a network of huts and trails throughout the park. The Bergen Line railway and National Road 7 also pass through the plateau.

The park is home to the southernmost populations of several Arctic animals and plants. It also has some of the largest wild reindeer herds in the world. Many ancient Stone Age settlements have been found in the area, likely connected to the movement of reindeer. Old trails cross the plateau, connecting western and eastern Norway. One example is the Nordmannsslepa, which links Eidfjord in Hardanger to Veggli in the Numedal valley, and continues to Hol and Uvdal.

The name "Hardangervidda" combines the name of the district Hardanger with the word "vidde," which means "wide plain" or "large mountain plateau."

The park includes land in Eidfjord and Ullensvang municipalities in Vestland county, Vinje and Tinn municipalities in Telemark county, and Nore og Uvdal and Hol municipalities in Buskerud county.

Geography and geology

The plateau is the largest eroded plain in Europe, covering an area of about 6,500 km² (2,500 mi²) at an average height of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet). The highest point on the plateau is the top of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier, which reaches a height of 1,863 meters (6,112 feet).

The landscape of the Hardangervidda is covered with barren, treeless moorland, with many pools, lakes, rivers, and streams. The west side has rocky terrain and large areas of bare rock, while the east side is flatter and has more vegetation. The climate differs between the two sides, with the west side receiving much more rainfall—over 1,000 millimeters (39 inches) per year in some areas. The peak of Hårteigen, which is 1,690 meters (5,545 feet) high, can be seen from much of the plateau.

Most of the Hardangervidda’s geology is very old. The rolling hills of the Hardangervidda are the remains of mountains that were worn down by glaciers during the ice ages. The bedrock is mainly from the Precambrian and Cambro-Silurian periods.

Flora and fauna

The entire area of Hardangervidda is above the tree line. Its cold mountain climate allows many Arctic animal and plant species to live farther south than anywhere else in Europe. There are many wild reindeer here, more than in most places. In 1996, about 15,000 reindeer were counted, and in 2008, about 8,000 were counted. These reindeer move across the plateau throughout the year, traveling from their winter grazing areas on the east side, where they eat lichen, to their breeding areas on the more fertile west side.

The different weather conditions on the plateau affect the plants. There is more plant life on the wetter west side than on the drier east side. Much of the plateau is covered with coarse grasses, mosses (especially sphagnum moss), and lichens.

During the Holocene climatic optimum (Stone Age), about 9,000 to 5,000 years ago, the local climate was warmer, and much of Hardangervidda had forests. Pine logs from that time are still found preserved in bogs above today’s tree line. Scientists predict that if the climate warms again, Hardangervidda may have forests once more.

• Hardangervidda landscape
• Map lichen on a rock of the Hardangervidda
• Hiking tent in southwestern Hardangervidda
• Kvanntjørnsbu

Visitor centres

The national park has two visitor centers. The first is the Hardangervidda Natursenter (Nature Centre) in the village of Øvre Eidfjord, which is part of Eidfjord Municipality. The second is the Hardangervidda Nasjonalparksenter (National Park Centre) in Skinnarbu, which is part of Tinn Municipality. This center is near the lake Møsvatnet, the town of Rjukan, and the mountain village of Raulandsgrend.

Human settlement

The Hardangervidda has been used by people for thousands of years. Many Stone Age homes where people moved around have been found there, probably because of reindeer movement. Old paths cross the area, connecting the western and eastern parts of Norway. One path, called "Nordmannsslepa," links Eidfjord and Veggli in the Numedal valley to Hol and Uvdal. This path is still an important route between Oslo and Bergen. The Bergen Line railway and the main Norwegian National Road 7 also cross the plateau.

Activities

Hardangervidda can be visited throughout the year. From June to October, it is good for activities like hiking, fishing, watching wildlife, cycling, horseback riding, canoeing, and hunting. Hiking is the easiest and most enjoyable way to explore Hardangervidda National Park. The Norwegian Trekking Association provides a system of hiking trails and cabins that link Hardangervidda from Haukeliseter and Mogen in the south to Finse in the north, Rjukan and Geilo in the east, and Eidfjord and Odda in the west.

Accidents

On the night of August 26, 2016, 323 wild reindeer, including 70 young ones, were struck by lightning during a storm while standing in the grass on the Hardangervidda plateau.