Hardangerfjord

Historie

The Hardangerfjord is the fourth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Hordaland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountainous interior of Norway along the Hardangervidda plateau. The innermost point of the fjord reaches the town of Odda.LocationThe Hardangerfjord starts at the Atlantic Ocean about south of the city of Bergen. Here the fjord heads in a northeasterly direction between the island of Bømlo and the mainland. It passes by the larger islands of Stord, Tysnesøya, and Varaldsøy on the north/west side and the Folgefonna peninsula on the south/east side. Once it is surrounded by the mainland, it begins to branch off into smaller fjords that reach inwards towards the grand Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The longest branch of the Hardangerfjord is Sørfjorden which cuts south about from the main fjord. Its maximum depth is more than 860m just outside the village of Norheimsund in the middle of the fjord.