Hovden is a village in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located along Norwegian National Road 9, along the eastern shore of the lake, Hartevatnet. The village is located along the river Otra about 27 kilometres (17 mi) north of the village of Bykle.[1] The area is a tourist area for winter sports in the Setesdal region since it is located up in the rocky Setesdalsheiene mountains and near many lakes such as Skyvatn, Holmavatnet, and Vatndalsvatnet.[2] The population (2009) of the village of Hovden is 385, and the village area covers 0.84 square kilometres (210 acres).[3]
Hovden is a major center for tourism, and there are many leisure activities at Hovden. One of these recreational activities is a major ski resort with many moves, lifts, aqualand and spa and other facilities. Ørnefjell Golf Course is a 9-hole golf course at Hovden. In the context of Hovden, is a lot of nice scenery, high mountains and fishing lakes, hiking routes and skiing terrain. The area has Scandinavia's southernmost occurrence of wild reindeer, and in autumn, the area is known for its abundance of bilberries, lingonberries and cloudberries.