Hardangervidda National Park

Infobox_protected_area
name = Hardangervidda National Park
iucn_category = II

---

caption =
locator_x =
locator_y =
location = Buskerud, Hordaland, and Telemark, Norway
nearest_city = Bergen
lat_degrees = 60
lat_minutes = 3
lat_seconds =
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 7
long_minutes = 25
long_seconds =
long_direction = E
area = convert|3422|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on
established = 1981
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Directorate for Nature Management

Hardangervidda National Park, at 3,422 square kilometers, is Norway's largest national park. It spans from Numedal and Uvdal in the east and Røvelseggi and Ullensvang in the west across the Hardanger mountain plateau (Hardangervidda). Designated as a national park in 1981, today it serves as a popular tourist destination for activities such as hiking, climbing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) maintains a comprehensive network of huts and paths across Hardangervidda. The Bergensbanen railway line and the main Highway 7 cross the plateau.

It has the southernmost stock of several arctic animals and plants, including arctic fox, Snowy Owl, and others. Its wild reindeer flocks are among the largest in the world.

Several hundred nomadic stone age settlements have been found in the area, most likely related to the migration of the reindeer. Ancient trails cross the plateau, linking western and eastern Norway; one example is the "Nordmannsslepa" linking Eidfjord and Veggli in the Numedal valley with Hol and Uvdal.

External links

* [http://english.dirnat.no/wbch3.exe?p=3043 Norwegian Directorate for Nature, information on Hardangervidda National Park]