Hovden is a Setesdal-valley resort at 820 m, the southernmost serious ski mountain in Norway, three and a half hours from Kristiansand on the Skagerrak coast. 25 km of piste run on the Hartevatn-Røyrtjønn sector, alongside a long cross-country network spread across the open Hovden plateau. It is the closest big-mountain skiing to Denmark and southern Sweden.
Hovden is a ski resort with genuine ski-in/ski-out hotels in Norway, in the Norwegian Mountains. The village sits at 820 m and the lifts top out at 1175 m, with 25 km of pistes and 9 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 78/100, and the season usually runs Nov 23 → Apr 30.
How we score and classify resortsRun counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Very good · 492 reviews
Strong value for Hovden, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Guests rate this hotel as very good (4.4/5 from 492 reviews). A mid-range option for Hovden, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Very good · 469 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Hovden.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
A solid cluster of cabins and the bigger Hovden hotels sit within walking distance of the main chair, so genuine ski-in/ski-out is realistic; outlying cabins on the plateau need a short drive or shuttle.
Hovden is a family-first resort built around an open mountain plateau and a long upper lake, with the alpine slopes climbing on one side and the nordic loops stretching out on the other. The pistes are wide, evenly graded and well-suited to learners and intermediates, with two short blacks and a small but well-kept snowpark for teenagers. What makes Hovden distinctive is that it caters to a steady stream of Danish and southern Swedish families who drive up for half-terms; the village feels modestly Scandinavian rather than cosmopolitan, with timber lodges, a swimming-pool and spa complex, and an iron-age museum that surprises first-time visitors. The cross-country trails are extensive and very gentle in the lower sections, climbing out toward Hartevatn and Røyrtjønn for stronger skiers. Snow cover is reliable thanks to the plateau altitude, and the lower runs typically hold into late April.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Hovden: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
Hovden offers 25 km of pistes across 9 lifts, from 820 m to 1175 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
The season runs from Nov 23 to Apr 30, with a snow score of 78/100. Snow is usually most reliable in the heart of that window, deep in winter, while the closing weeks bring longer days and softer afternoon snow.
A solid cluster of cabins and the bigger Hovden hotels sit within walking distance of the main chair, so genuine ski-in/ski-out is realistic; outlying cabins on the plateau need a short drive or shuttle.
Hovden has 25 km of marked pistes served by 9 lifts, between 820 m and 1175 m of altitude.
Hovden counts about 26 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
Norwegian Mountains
Norwegian Mountains
Norwegian Mountains
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Norwegian Mountains
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