Hardangervidda

Hardangervidda covers approximately 6,500 square kilometers (about 2,500 square miles), making it the largest mountain plateau in Europe. It sits at an average elevation of roughly 1,100 to 1,400 meters above sea level in southern Norway.

Hardangervidda is home to one of the largest wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) herds in Europe, with an estimated population of roughly 10,000 animals. The plateau also supports Arctic fox, though this species is critically endangered in Norway, as well as various tundra-adapted bird species.

Yes, Hardangervidda is protected as a national park and is open to hikers, with an extensive network of marked trails maintained by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT). The DNT also operates a system of staffed and self-service mountain cabins across the plateau, enabling multi-day trekking trips.

Hardangervidda has a subarctic alpine climate with cold winters and short, cool summers, and significant portions of the plateau remain snow-covered well into spring and early summer. Weather conditions can change rapidly, and fog, wind, and freezing temperatures are possible even during the peak hiking months of July and August.