Folgefonna's ice cap blankets 207 square kilometres across three glacier tongues, making it mainland Norway's third-largest ice field and the southernmost in Scandinavia. Established in 2005, the national park protects not only the ice but the sub-alpine birch forests, hanging valleys, and ribbon waterfalls that cascade from its margins. The ice itself is a relic of the last glacial maximum, though its edges have retreated measurably since the mid-20th century, exposing moraines and polished bedrock that record millennia of advance and retreat. Today, Folgefonna National Park anchors the Hardanger region's adventure economy. Bondhus Glacier Lake, fed by meltwater from the northern tongue, lies cradled in a cirque at 880 metres elevation, its milky turquoise colour derived from suspended glacial flour. The lake appeared in its current form only after the Little Ice Age terminus receded in the early 1900s. Buarbreen, the westernmost outlet glacier, descends to within 400 metres of sea level, one of the lowest-elevation glacier fronts in Norway. Summer temperatures regularly hover near 15°C at the fjord edge, creating a microclimate where orchids bloom within sight of perennial ice. The park's 545 square kilometres encompass diverse terrain. Hardangervidda's plateau transitions abruptly into the steep coastal escarpment, with elevation gains of 1,200 metres over horizontal distances under five kilometres. This topography channels moisture-laden Atlantic air upward, depositing over four metres of precipitation annually on the ice cap's summit. Waterfalls like Bondhusfossen and Låtefossen drop in multiple stages, their flow peaking during June's melt season. Archaeological surveys have identified stone hunting blinds and reindeer pitfall traps dating to the Iron Age along the park's eastern boundaries, evidence that these high pastures supported seasonal human activity long before tourism. Access from Bergen requires a ferry crossing of Hardangerfjord, itself a 179-kilometre fjord arm carved by Quaternary ice. The E134 highway threads through Jondal, the park's administrative gateway, where information centres display glaciology exhibits and real-time ice-monitoring data. Folgefonna National Park tour from Bergen itineraries typically allocate ten hours for the round trip, with three to four hours reserved for trail hiking and lake access. The park enforces no entrance fee, reflecting Norwegian allemannsrett tradition, though guided glacier walks onto the ice cap itself require crampons and certified guides due to crevasse hazards.