Located on the island of Funen, Odense, pronounced o-thn-se, is not only the island’s millennium-old hub but is also the country’s third-largest city. Odense has almost a mystic, legendary feel to it - after all, it is the birthplace of favourite fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. Armed with a motto that means ‘to play is to live’ Odense features a great cafe and bar scene, an amazing village museum of historic homes, a fairytale-esque castle, and also Denmark’s best zoo. Clearly, this Danish cultural hotbed has several things to interest travellers. Here are the top things to do in Odense, Denmark.
1. Appreciate the stunning sculpture of The Sea Horse
Inspired by an HC Anderson poem, the Sea Horse is a fountain sculpture of bronze in the Odense Å River. Known as Havhesten in Danish, the sculpture was originally supposed to have been installed in an outdoor public pool in the city’s outskirts but was relocated to the city centre on account of its great beauty. The Carl Hugo Lisbjerg-designed spectacular sculpture features water spray from the nostrils of the horse and even underwent restoration in 2004-05 for celebrating the 200th birthday of H.C.Andersen.
The Sea Horse
Address: Ny Vestergade 19, 5000 Odense, Denmark
Website: The Sea Horse
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
2. Focus on the Cold War era displays at Odense Bunkermuseum
How’d you like to roam a real original atomic nuclear bunker from the 1950s? Welcome to the Bukermuseum, a 450-sq. metres (4,843 sq. feet) nuclear bunker which earlier housed Command Center of the Municipality of Odense. During the Cold War, this was where the mayor and key government personnel were to go in the worst case. Today, the fully intact bunker with attractive displays makes for fascinating viewing, over which lies the red brick structure of the historic hostel of Danhostel Odense Kragsbjerggaard.
Odense Bunkermuseum
Address: Kragsbjergvej 99, 5230 Odense
Website: Odense Bunkermuseum
Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 10am - 4pm (closed from Mon - Fri)
Price: 8 USD
3. Admire the art work at Gallery Galschiot
Totalling an area of 8,000 sq. metres (86,000 sq. feet), Gallery Galschiøt is the workshop of complex artist Jens Galschiot. The gallery not only houses the workshop where Jens Galschiot works but also a park wherein lie some of Galschot’s biggest sculptures, and also a permanent exhibition centre containing the works of famous artists Gerhard Henning, Wilheim Marstrand, Laurits Tuxen, Jørgen Boberg, and Michael Kvium.
Gallery Galschiot
Address: Banevænget 22, 5270 Odense
Website: Gallery Galschiot
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm; Sun: 12pm - 4pm (closed on Sat)
Price: Free entry
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4. Visit Brandts: Denmark's first art and visual culture museum
Discover the cultural hub that is Denmark’s very first art and visual culture museum Brandts. Located in what was a clothing factory earlier, Brandts is the cynosure of Brandts Klædefabrik, Odense’s very own Latin quarter. Brandts features a permanent media museum as well as 10 temporary exhibitions of new and classical art every year. The permanent collection features more than 15,000 pieces of everything from drawings and international films to photography and classical art pieces and more.
Brandts
Address: Amfipladsen 7, 5000 Odense
Website: Brandts
Opening hours: Wed - Fri: 10am - 9pm; Sat - Sun, Tue: 10am - 5pm (closed on Mon)
5. Feed and pet the animals at Odense Zoo
The 1930-established Odense Zoological Garden was not only Denmark’s ninth popular attraction one year but also received the award for being the “Best Zoo in Europe” with up to 500,000 visitors annually". Today, Odense zoo features around 2,000 animals across 147 species from all over the world, including Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Macaws, Greater Flamingo, Pink-Backed Pelican, Penguins, Ostrich, Weste Indian Manatee, Red Panda, Giraffe, Grévy’s Zebra, Siberian Tiger, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Monkeys, Chimpanzees, and so much more. Muzzle and pet animals like giraffe, tapir, and lively lemurs and help feed them.
Odense Zoo
Address: Søndre Blvd. 306, 5000 Odense
Website: Odense Zoo
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm; Sat - Sun: 9am - 6pm
Price: 67 USD
6. Feel the Viking energy at Odins Odense
How’d you like to discover what life was like in the Iron Age and during the time of the Vikings? See for yourself at Odins Odense, formerly the “Iron Age Village”, showcases what life, architecture, and living conditions were like during those times 2,000 years ago. This independent, open-air museum on the outskirts of Odense in the suburb of Næsby features artefacts and tells the story of village life between 500 BC and 1050 AD. Every year in May on its third weekend, the Odense Iron Age Market is held which is attended by Romans, Iron Age people, and the Vikings from all over the country.
Odins Odense
Address: Store Klaus 40, 5270 Odense
Website: Odins Odense
Opening hours: Sat - Thu: 10am - 4pm (closed on Fri)
7. Explore the Danish Railway Museum
Odense is home to Denmark’s national railway museum, the 1975-established Danish Railway Museum. Located in an interesting former engine shed right next to Odense railway station, the Danish Railway Museum also happens to be Scandinavia’s largest railway museum. The 10,000-sq. metre-huge (107,640 sq. feet) museum features 50 railway carriages and locomotives on 20 rail tracks from all of Danish rail history time periods, as well as original Danish railway structures. During school holidays in Denmark, a live steam-hauled train is also run on a short track section.
Danish Railway Museum
Address: Dannebrogsgade 24, 5000 Odense
Website: Danish Railway Museum
Opening hours: 10am - 4pm (daily)
Price: 12 USD
8. Enjoy a romantic meal at Sortebro Kro
How’d you like to have a date with your loved one at a Royal Licence country inn dating back to the year 1805? The romantic idyll of the half-timbered Sortebro Kro represents all country inns of Denmark’s past, complete with picturesque, verdant gardens, a little mill, and even a village pond, around which nostalgic architecture creates a real old-world atmosphere. Dig into classic dishes created from contemporary, locally grown and sourced ingredients in the typically Scandinavian gastronomic delight of a restaurant. Must-eat dishes include the assortment of delicious breads - sourdough, focaccia, and baguette, the amuse guele of a mini smoked mackerel cake on a chilli sauce, the Angus steak, and the lobster bisque.
Sortebro Kro
Address: Sejerskovvej 20, 5260 Odense
Website: Sortebro Kro
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm - 10pm; Sun: 12pm - 3pm
9. Dress your kids in fun costumes at Tinderbox Museum
The fantastic cultural centre, Tinderbox is an amazing place to spend with children in Odense. Inspired by HC Anderson’s fairytales, the Tinderbox has a great many things to do, of which the best is dressing up your children in great costumes at the Wardrobe and Fairytale Land. Apart from that, there are also painting and drawing activities, tableaux and scenographic installations to check out, castle walls and towers your children will love, and even the ballerina’s paper castle with a dance hall. At Tinderbox, imagination is truly the only limit.
Tinderbox Museum
Address: Hans Jensens Stræde 21, 5000 Odense, Denmark
Website: Tinderbox Museum
Opening hours: Fri - Sun: 10am - 4pm (closed from Mon - Thu)
Price: 20 USD onwards
10. Marvel at H. C. Andersen's childhood home
Not far away from St. Canute’s Cathedral on Munkemøllestræde in what is apparently the poorest part of Odense lies what was supposedly Hans Christian Andersen’s childhood home. The old-world, little yellow corner house is where HC Anderson was apparently born in the year 1805. In 1908, more than a hundred years later, the transformed into a museum, making it one of the world’s oldest poet museums. It features an exhibition of items used by Anderson as well as cobbling and shoemaking tools used by his father.
H. C. Andersen's House
Address: Hans Jensens Stræde 45, 5000 Odense, Denmark
Website: H. C. Andersen’s House
Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 10am - 4pm (closed on Mon)
11. Swing by H.C. Andersen Museum
How did a boy who was born into extreme poverty blossom into being the world’s greatest writer of fairy tales? Explore the origins, the time, and life of Hans Christian Andersen at the H.C. Andersen Museum. Right back to the time the writer was a mere boy, people saved some of the things he used and did, long before he even became the great fairytale writer that we know him as. Today, the unique, one-of-a-kind collection comprises more than 32,000 items and together, they represent an entire lifetime worth of thoughts and work.
H.C. Andersen Museum
Address: Claus Bergs Gade 11, 5000 Odense
Website: H.C. Andersen Museum
Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 10am - 4pm (closed on Mon)
12. Admire the beautiful interiors of Odense City Hall
The 1885-built Odense City Hall is where the administrative offices of Odense Municipality lie. The Italian-Gothic structure is attributed to architects Lendorf and Herholdt and is built at the very place where the former, smaller Town Hall stood for four centuries. The beautiful structure is inspired by Italian buildings like Sienna’s Palazzo Pubblico, complete with red sandstone masonry, stepped gables and a saw-tooth course. The structure underwent comprehensive renovation with updated council chamber, banqueting hall, meeting rooms, and entrance halls, which was completed In conjunction with H.C. Andersen’s 200th anniversary in 2005.
Odense City Hall
Address: Flakhaven 2, 5000 Odense
Website: Odense City Hall
Opening hours: Mon - Wed: 9am - 3:30pm; Thu: 9am - 5pm; Fri: 9am - 12:30pm (closed on Sat & Sun)
13. Check out the 100-year-old trees at King's Garden
Bang opposite the Odense Palace is King’s Garden, the massive formal palace park. The beautifully baroque garden was originally built in 1720 by Johan Cornelius Kireiger according to a French design incorporating symmetrical lines with a central axis. Around a century later, the garden transformed into an English-style garden with curved lines. The two-acre huge garden is also home to some magnificent protected trees which are more than 100 years old, including magnolia, tulip, and copper beech. Today, there are many carnivals, open-air concerts, and various cultural activities which are held here.
King's Garden
Address: 5000 Odense, Denmark
Website: King’s Garden
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
14. See the remains of Canute IV at St. Canute's Cathedral
Odense Cathedral, whose formal name is St. Canute’s Cathedral, is one of the finest examples of Brick Gothic architecture and is considered one of Denmark’s finest Gothic buildings. Named after the Danish king Canute IV or Canute the Saint, the church is mostly thronged by visitors wanting to see the crypt where Canute’s and his brother Benedict’s remains are on display. The 14th-century built Gothic cathedral features a high, bright nave and a magnificent altarpiece carved by Claus Berg which dates back to the 1500s.
St. Canute's Cathedral
Address: Klosterbakken 2, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
Website: St. Canute’s Cathedral
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm; Sun: 12pm - 4pm
15. Admire the Baroque architecture of Odense Palace
With its origins in a 15th-century monastery which ultimately went to the Crown, the Odense Palace has since been a residence for seigneurs, Amt administrators, and governors, and has been home to municipal government as well. The 18th-century-built main white baroque structure with 13 bays was designed by the gardener of Rosenberg Palace J.C.Krieger, who was inspired by the Dutch Baroque architectural style while studying in the Netherlands and England. Right in the front stands the beautiful castle garden, the King’s Garden, in a classic French style.
Odense Palace
Address: 5000 Odense
Website: Odense Palace
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
16. Relish a sumptious meal at Restaurant Flammen
Dig into delectable seasonal food at the cosy and spacious Restaurant Flammen. Located in the 1900-established old Funen Assembly House, Restaurant Flammen is located right in the very heart of Odense. Eat to your heart’s fill at the buffet restaurant, which features 15 types of meat on the grill, with selection differing across seasons, 3 kinds of starters including a soup of the day and a fish dish, a salad bar with more than 50 flavours with sauces, dressings, and butter, and even 10 kinds of hot dishes.
Restaurant Flammen
Address: Kongensgade 66-68, 5000 Odense
Website: Restaurant Flammen
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 5pm - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 5pm - 11pm (closed on Sun)
17. Chug down traditional beer at Carlsens Kvarter
Traditional and cosy with a wide selection of speciality beer, Carlsens Kvarter features a large selection of speciality beer. Featuring local brews of Fyn with a focus on Belgians, Carlsens Kvarter features 15 kinds of tap beer, of which 12 are micros. Carlsen’s is particularly popular with the older locals of Odense, so expect a wonderfully traditional and conservative lineup of beers here including Carlsberg, Mikkeller, Amager, Vestfyen, and more. Sit at the long bar counter at Carlsens Kvarter, order a selection of beers and guzzle away!
Carlsens Kvarter
Address: Hunderupvej 19, 5000 Odense
Website: Carlsens Kvarter
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm - 1am; Sun: 1pm - 7pm
18. Watch a performance at Odense Teater
Not only is the Odense Teater Denmark’s second-oldest theatre but is also the place where prolific fairytale writer and Odense native HC Andersen started out as a writer! With origins tracing back to 1976, Odense Theatre also happens to be one of Denmark’s three main theatres and features three stages: Foyerscenen, Værkstedet, and Store Scene. Moreover, the Odense Theatre is notable for staging the first showing of Henrik Ibsen’s contemporary realist drama “The Pillars of Society” in November 1877. From ballet performances to a history of Denmark, catch a riveting performance at Odense Theatre.
Odense Teater
Address: Jernbanegade 21, 5000 Odense
Website: Odense Teater
19. Experience the 19th century village life at The Funen Village
How’d you like to experience the village milieu and era when Hans Christian Anderson penned his fairytales? Welcome to The Funen Village, the land of living history where the past meets the present in a rich, open-air experience. Walk through the time that has gone by (or take a horse-drawn carriage) as farmworkers, kitchen maids and many other figures bring history to life, telling stories about living in the 19th century during the time of Anderson. Do enjoy a meal at the Old Inn!
The Funen Village
Address: Sejerskovvej 20, 5260 Odense
Website: The Funen Village
Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 10am - 4pm; Sat - Sun: 10am - 5pm (closed on Mon)
20. Learn about Hans Christian Anderson's life at Møntergården
Half-timbered Renaissance-style homes, barrel hoops for a game of hoop rolling, chicken coops, clothes being hung on clotheslines, wood shavings from a joiner’s workshop - the 19th century that Hans Christian Anderson lived in lives on as it did then at the Møntergården. This cultural history museum is located in a courtyard and features Odense during the Renaissance and the Middle Ages as well as the ancient history of Funen. The building, which dates back to 1646, even features carved rosettes on its facade.
Møntergården
Address: Møntestræde 1, 5000 Odense C
Website: Møntergården
Opening hours: 10am - 5pm (daily)
August Odense
Old-world, charming, and a mystical town - Odense seems straight out of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales. For fairytale fanatics, and travellers wanting to unravel the mystery of the gorgeous, stunning city, do indulge in some of the top things to do in Odense, Denmark.
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