Geotouristic attractiveness of Briksdalen Valley against the background of changes in the extent of Briksdalsbreen Glacier (southern Norway)

The aim of the study is to present the geotouristic attractions of Briksdalen valley (south-western Norway), with particular consideration of changes in the maximum extent of the Briksdalsbreen glacier from the 18th century to the 2020s. The article describes landforms resulting from glacial morphogenetic activity, such as terminal moraine ridges, glacial grooves and striations, potholes and crescentic gouges, which are treated here as discrete (point) geomorphological sites. It also traces changes in the extent of the glacier tongue, focusing especially on the period 1997–2024, when the glacier underwent rapid retreat, with rates periodically exceeding 100 m per year. The article further addresses the issue of protecting the postglacial landforms, that attest to the glacier’s rapid disappearance. It is found that the moraine ridges marking the glacier’s last maxi-mum extent (1996/97) have received no protection whatsoever from trampling by tourists. The article also seeks to promote the region among a wider audience and to encourage geotouristic visits.