Hovden is a village in the municipality of Bykle in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the northern part of Setesdalen valley, on the Norwegian National Road 9 and the river Otra, on the eastern shore of the lake Hartevatnet. The village sits about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the village of Bykle and about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of the village of Breive. The 0.57-square-kilometre (140-acre) village has a population (2019) of 413 and a population density of 726 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,880/sq mi).[1]Fjellgardane Church is located in Hovden.
Hovden has many leisure activities in the wintertime, especially skiing and ice fishing. There is a major downhill ski resort in Hovden as well as a water park and spa. In the summertime, tourists come to go hiking and fishing in the lakes. The Ørnefjell Golf Course in Hovden is a 9-hole golf course. The area has Scandinavia's southernmost occurrence of wild reindeer. In the autumn, Hovden is known for its abundance of bilberries, lingonberries, and cloudberries.
