Odense: Viking fortress, waterways and urban history

Odense visibly carries its history into the present: Nonnebakken is designated as the Viking fortress of Odense and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The local navigation also leads to Freltofte, Odense, Blommenslyst and Agedrup.

Culture

H.C. Andersens Hus displays original objects, paper cuttings and drawings by Hans Christian Andersen. The garden of H.C. Andersens Barndomshjem contains flowers and historic varieties that originated from his fairy tales. Brandts Art Museum hosts lectures, guided tours and other events.

Several churches and monasteries lead through different eras. Sankt Hans Kirke is a red Johannite monastery church in the centre of Odense, near Kongens Have and Odense Slot. Graabrødre Kloster is a historic Franciscan monastery founded in 1279 by King Erik Klipping. Vor Frue Kirke is the oldest church in Odense and was built at the end of the 12th century.

Odense Cathedral is a Gothic cathedral from the 14th century. Its crypt contains the mortal remains of King Canute the Holy. The cathedral also has a 16th-century altarpiece created by woodcarver Claus Berg.

Cityscape

The cobblestoned Nedergade in Odense’s old quarter has irregular half-timbered façades that convey the city’s history over the centuries. The Torvedag market offers seasonal fruit and vegetables, flowers and other seasonal produce. There are also various types of cheese, including the Funen speciality Rygeost, as well as fish from a fish truck on most market days.

Nature

The Odense Ã… flows through Munke Mose. A section of the path along the Odense Ã… towards Bellinge is designated as a Heart Route for exercise in green surroundings. Saabyes Stryg is a fish passage in Munke Mose where visitors can take a break beside the rushing water.

Odense has 120 parks and gardens as well as a car-free city centre. This means that green spaces and an area without car traffic stand side by side in the cityscape.

Leisure

At Odense ZOO, visitors can see animals from around the world, including large predators and smaller petting animals. The zoo also offers a twelve-metre-high walkway and playgrounds.

Den Fynske Landsby offers guided tours as an introduction to a visit to the open-air museum. On selected days, Den Fynske Landsby presents living history with volunteers working in 19th-century clothing. The buildings originally stood in various locations on Funen and the surrounding islands. Visitors can see the livestock of Den Fynske Landsby all year round in the pastures or stables.

At Munke Mose, rowing boats and pedal boats can be rented for trips on the Odense Ã…. Visitors can use their own rowing boats, kayaks or canoes on the Odense Ã… all year round.

History

The Danish Railway Museum displays an operational, true-to-original replica of ODIN, Denmark’s first locomotive from 1846. Næsbyhoved Slotsbanke is a medieval castle site with deep moats.

The Odense Bunker Museum preserves an intact 450 m² nuclear bunker from the 1950s. It contains original objects from the Cold War and three exhibitions on various aspects of the Cold War.

Getting around

Odense has more than 500 kilometres of cycle paths. From Odense railway station, travellers can reach various parts of Denmark by train, travel to southern Funen by regional train and take buses to other towns on Funen.

To the overarching travel overview: Funen.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Odense.

Other destinations

Other places within the same destination:

Assens, Svendborg Municipality, Nyborg Municipality.