Odense

Go on a self-drive holiday to Odense, Denmark's third largest city. Odense is best known for being H.C. Andersen's city, but of course offers a wealth of different exciting attractions and experiences for everyone.

Of course, one cannot mention Odense without thinking of H.C. Andersen. H.C. Andersen was born on 2 April 1805 in Odense and was a Danish writer and poet, famous throughout the world for his fairy tales. He was also known for his papercuts, and is believed to have invented the braided Danish Christmas heart. Around the centre of Odense you can find several sculptures depicting his fairy tale characters and also some pieces by the author himself. In the city there are several museums dedicated to the author's life and works. Close to H.C. Andersens birthplace, the iconic yellow house, you will find the main museum, H.C. Andersen Museum. Here you can see the poet's workshop, many private possessions such as the top hat and enjoy many of his beautiful papercuts. H.C. Andersen's childhood home on Munkemøllestræde has been used as a museum since 1930. Here you can take a tour of the living rooms, where a small exhibition tells the story of the author's childhood.

Odense Zoo is a very popular tourist attraction, not only on Funen and in Odense, but throughout Denmark. The zoo opened on 16 May 1930 and featured two monkeys, a peacock, a deer, a mule, injuries and guinea pigs. Today, Odense Zoo has about 2,070 animals from 147 species from all over the world. You will find among others in the garden "Oceanium", inaugurated in 2001, here the wildlife of South America is the theme. The Oceanium ranges from tropical rainforest with manatees in an artificial river, to king penguins in a sub-Antarctic climate. At Odense Zoo there is enough fun for a whole day, for the whole family.

If you want a trip back to Funen in the 1800s, a visit to the open-air museum, The Funen Village, is the perfect place. Here you will find a total of 25 buildings and building complexes from the past of the Funen region. There are, among others, 5 farmhouses, a tavern and a school. Although the village is a building museum, social and agricultural history is also presented, and there are numerous original objects that illustrate this. During holiday periods and especially in summer, history is brought to life by volunteers. They carry out common tasks from the village in the 1800s, dressed in costumes from that time.

St Canute's Church, Odense Cathedral, is named after Canute the Holy, who was murdered in 1086 in the nearby Church of St Alban. If you visit the church, you can see the skeleton of King Canute in the crypt. The church was built in the 1300s and is a Gothic cathedral, with a high and bright nave. The church tower is 63 metres high, making it one of the tallest buildings in Odense.

If you like good entertainment, don't miss a trip to the Odense Theatre. Odense theatre dates back to 1796 and is Denmark's second oldest theatre. It has several stages and there are many different fantastic performances.

Odense has something for everyone and all ages. So pack your car and take the whole family on an unforgettable self-drive holiday to Odense.