Private Hardangerfjord Day Tour, incl Barony Rosendal, Folgefonna Glacier & Fjord Lunch

The Hardangerfjord is the fourth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest in Norway. It is located in Hordaland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches 179 kilometres (111 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountainous interior of Norway along the Hardangervidda plateau. About 8,000 BC, the Scandinavian land mass started to rise up as enormous glacial ice started to melt. The lower parts of the valleys became flooded, and so created what we today know as the Hardangerfjord. The valley was originally not only made through glacial erosion but by the high pressure melting water which pushed its way beneath the ice. The history of the fjord goes far beyond its Viking history, back to the time of hunters on the surrounding mountains, and later on, farming along this fertile area which today is considered the "fruit orchard of Norway". Later the fjord became the birthplace for a large tourism influx to Norway, and in 1875 Thomas Cook started weekly cruise departures from London to the Hardangerfjord, due to its spectacular nature, glaciers, and grand waterfalls. Soon after this many of the major waterfalls became the power source for large industries in fjord settlements such as the town of Odda. 

The history of Barony Rosendal dates back to the 1650s, when the nobleman Ludvig Holgersen Rosenkranz (1628-1685) came to Bergen as commissioner of war for the Danish king, Fredrik III. At a ball at the fortress of Bergenhus he met Karen Axelsdatter Mowatt (1630-1675), sole heiress to the largest fortune of the country at the time. Her father was a great land-owner and had more than 550 farms all over the western part of Norway. They married in 1658, and were given the farm of Hatteberg in Rosendal as a wedding present. In 1661, Ludwig Rosenkrantz started building his own manor in Rosendal. He completed this in 1665. In 1678 King Christian V of Denmark gave the estate the status of Barony - the only one of its kind in Norway. Around 1850, an expansive romantic garden was laid out around the manor. The families of Rosendal were important people in the cultural life of Norway and often there were concerts in Rosendal, a tradition which is still kept alive.

Folgefonna, the third largest glacier on mainland Norway, is the heart of the national park. Exotic and dramatic, this magnificent glacier has drawn tourists since 1833. Here are glacier tongues and icefalls, wild valleys, and raging rivers of rushing meltwater and scenic summer pastures. Folgefonna actually consists of three glaciers: Nordfonna, Midtfonna and Sørfonna, as well as numerous tiny glaciers, altogether covering a total of 207 km2. Measurements show that the glacier is almost 400 metres at its thickest, and at its highest point annual precipitation is 5500 mm. Like bread dough resting on an uneven surface, the glacier is slowly seeking lower ground. Glacier arms pour into the surrounding valleys, even forming icefalls where the terrain is particularly steep. The dramatic Bondhusbrea offers one such dramatic icefall – and the sight is unforgettable! Folgefonna National Park was established, and it's one of 46 Norwegian national parks.