Odense, places to visit?

The fantastic world of fairy tales

Odense is located an hour and a half from Billund on the island of Funen in the centre of Denmark. A place that is rich in art, nature, sport and entertainment, it is famous for being the birthplace of the author Hans Christian Andersen.

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The entire urban environment is centred around the fantastic world of fairy tales. Fyrtøjet, which takes its name from one of Andersen’s fairy tales “The Tinder-Box”, is a centre where children can play, draw and listen to stories, or become part of the atmosphere in an area dedicated to theatre.

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The Andersen district, which houses a museum of the same name, preserves the atmosphere and poetry of the age in which the writer lived. The city’s culture life revolves around the Brandts Museum.

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Odense offers numerous parks, the most famous being the Munke Mose, which features one of the most famous sculptures in the city, the sea horse, and provides pedalos, rowing boats and canoes for hire for a trip on the river. In Næsby, a district of Odense, a Stone Age village has been built with huts containing workshops where visitors can work with ancient tools.

Funen is filled with castles and country mansions, which range from the oldest, built around the thirteenth century, to the most recent in English style dating back to the last century. The wonderful Castle of Odense is well worth a visit, while many others can be admired from outside. Funen is renowned for it dairy products such as smoked cheese, apple juice and for the production of beer. A typical dish is smørrebrød, an open sandwich on rye bread with lumpfish roe and shrimps.

Text by Lisa Maria River
Avion Tourism Magazine

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Where to sleep in Odense

WHERE TO GO in Odense

Monuments in Odense

St. Canute’s Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral built in 1300 which is considered by many to be the most beautiful Gothic construction in Denmark. It was named after King Canute, the saint who was killed here in 1086. His bones are displayed in the crypt.

Cattedrale St Knuds a Odense - Foto per uso editoriale - Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock

Museums in Odense

Hans Christian Andersen Museum

Located in the old part of the city of Odense, the museum follows the life and works of the writer. Several of his drawings, origami and manuscripts are displayed together with a complete collection of his books from all over the world.

Carl Nielsen Museum

The museum provides a detailed picture of the works and life of the composer Carl Nielsen and his wife, the sculptress Anne-Marie Carl Nielsen.

Excursions in and around Odense

Fyrtøjet (The Tinder-box)

An interactive children’s centre that takes its name from Andersen’s tale “The Tinder-Box”; a fairytale world where the writer’s stories can be relived. Children can dress up as characters from the fairytales, act, draw and play.

Funen Village

An open-air museum that reconstructs the environment of a village as it appeared during Andersen’s time. The museum includes 30 buildings dating back to the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries which have been transported from various parts of Funen. In summer the village is animated by people – from the master to the stable boy – who recreate daily life in the nineteenth-century Danish countryside.

Munke Mose

This is a large green oasis located in the heart of the city. Fun is assured even for children thanks to the park’s playground in which the amusements are genuine works of art inspired by nature.

Legoland

The first and original park entirely devoted to coloured Lego bricks. In 2008 it celebrated 40 years of activity. It is the favourite park in Denmark of both children and adults. It offers numerous attractions such as the recently built Pirate Lagoon, an area of 8,000 square metres for fighting real naval battles.

River Odense

A relaxing trip along the River Odense on board an ‘Odense Aafart’ boat, a visit to the zoo, or the Funen Village.

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Egeskov Slot Castle

Bikes are available for hire. Cycle path 55 leads to Egeskov Slot Castle, a castle surrounded by a lake and fairytale wood. Here the more adventurous visitor can take a walk on a 15-metre high walkway between trees, or get lost in the largest maze in the world. And for children the castle offers Titania’s Palace, a monumental dolls’ house.

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