Hardangervidda

Hardangervidda is the largest high mountain plateau in Europe, a huge, almost treeless expanse of tundra, lakes and bog roamed by one of the biggest wild reindeer herds on the continent. The Oslo to Bergen railway and a scenic road cross it, and long hut-to-hut trails thread its emptiness.

What you actually see

• The vast tundra - the endless open plateau of moss, rock, water and sky.
• Wild reindeer - the great herd that ranges across the plateau.
• Finse and the railway - the high mountain station and the line crossing the roof of the plateau.
• Hut-to-hut trails - the long trekking routes between staffed and self-service huts.

When to go

Midsummer to early autumn for hiking, when the plateau is snow-free and huts are open; winter for ski touring across the frozen expanse. The plateau holds snow late, so even summer can be raw.

Honest expectations

It is a big, exposed wilderness with fast-changing weather, so long routes across it demand real preparation and navigation. Its beauty is subtle emptiness rather than dramatic peaks, which not everyone connects with. The easy way to sample it is the railway or the road across.

Nearby

Geilo and Finse are mountain gateways; the Voringsfossen waterfall and the Hardangerfjord drop away on the western edge.