Odense - Odense

Odense it's a city Danish in the island of Funen.

To know

Odense is famous for being the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. The famous writer, best remembered for his fairy tales, was born in a poor neighborhood of Odense on April 2, 1805 and remained there until the age of 14 after which he made the decision to move to Copenhagen. The municipality of Odense has dedicated three museums to Andersen, one of which reproduces a typical Danish village from the time in which the writer lived and a small theater where the famous fairy tales are staged. The Hans Christian Andersen festival takes place every year in the second half of August. You will also find, scattered around the city, numerous statues and sculptures representing characters from the stories written by the writer such as the tin soldier, the little mermaid, the chimney sweep, the toad, the seahorse, the paper boat and the flying log just to name. some. In the Eventyr park, next to the cathedral, stands the most admired statue of Andersen, sculpted by Louis Hasselriis in 1888, a Danish artist who lived almost all his life in Rome.

Odense is also famous for its zoo which is among the top ten attractions in Denmark and is visited by around 500,000 people a year. For these reasons Odense is an ideal destination for families; the little ones will surely appreciate the many attractions of the city.

Odense is nowadays a prosperous city dedicated to trade and industry but tourism is an important source of income. In 2008, the city ranked seventh on a national scale in terms of tourism income (approximately 1.6 million Danish crowns).

Geographical notes

Odense is located in the north-central of the island of Funen (Fyn) and is crossed by the short river of the same name that flows into the Baltic Sea in an articulated gulf (Odense Fjord) on whose southeastern shore is the port of Odense (Odense Havn). In 1807 an artificial canal was inaugurated, the Odense Kanal which allowed the vessels to go up to the city center, favoring trade considerably.

Within the Gulf of Odense are the two islands of Vigelsø and Tornø. The first welcomes numerous flocks of migratory birds and has woods in its northern part while the second, much smaller (21 hectares), is connected to the mainland by a 300 m long pier. but has limited interest.

Northeast of the city, along road 165 is the Kertinge Nor, basically a lake of fresh water whose eastern part is called Karteminde Fjord. This last section communicates with the Baltic Sea through the short and narrow Gabets channel where sea waters flow regularly during periods of high tide. In 1935 the wreck of a 9th century Viking ship, the Ladbyskibet, was found by chance on the southern shore of Kertinge Nor, which served as the burial of a royal figure. A replica of the canal, completed in 2014, is on display at the Ladby Viking Museum in the nearby town of Kerteminde.

When to go

Odense summers are mild with maximum temperatures just over 20 ° C (68 ° F) but offset by prolonged lighting that reaches 19 hours at the summer solstice. July and August are the hottest months but also the wettest. August, in particular, receives an average of 80 mm. of rain a year. The coldest months are January and February with temperatures dropping a handful of degrees below zero. Between January and March the surface of Lake Odense is usually frozen and the landing at the port is only possible thanks to the intervention of icebreakers. The winds often blow low, coming both from the west and from the north-east and with such impetuosity as to cause a rise in the water level of up to 1.8 m in the gulf. Climate data for the city are recorded at Hans Christian Andersen Airport.

Background

Odense is one of the oldest cities in Denmark: archaeological excavations nearby have unearthed the remains of a 4,000-year-old Stone Age settlement. This first settlement was located on the highest hill in the city, between the Odense River to the south and Lake Naesbyhoved (now dry) to the north.

Nonnebakken, one of Denmark's oldest Viking fortresses, was located south of the river. The Møntergården museum in Odense displays numerous artifacts related to the history of the first Vikings in the Odense area. The Vikings built numerous fortifications along the banks of the river to defend it from invaders who came from the coast.

Odense celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 1988. The name of the city is in fact mentioned for the first time in an edict of 18 March 988 of the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto III with which civic rights and freedoms were granted to Odense and neighboring villages. The first church erected in Odense was that of Santa Maria, probably dating back to the end of the 12th century. The territory was part of the vast archbishopric of Hamburg and in 988 it was erected as a Catholic diocese. The first bishops we know of were Odinkar Hvide and Reginbert, both consecrated in 1022 by Archbishop Æthelnoth of Canterbury.

Recent excavations have shown that from the early 11th century the city extended in the area around today's Albani Torv, Fisketorvet, Overgade and Vestergade. At that time Odense was already a city of some importance. In 1086 Canute IV of Denmark, generally considered the last king of the Vikings, he was slaughtered together with his entourage in the priory of Sant'Albano during a revolt of peasants angry at the high taxes imposed on them. In 1101 Pope Paschal II canonized the assassinated monarch. Today the priory no longer exists, but a church was erected on the site in the early 19th century. Benedictine monks from England founded the Abbey of San Canuto in the 12th century. It was here that the English monk Wrotelnoth wrote the first literary work in Danish, "Vita et Passio S. Canuti". The church of the city convent became the city cathedral in the following century and throughout the Middle Ages it was a destination for pilgrims who came to pay homage to the remains of the holy king.

A large number of churches and monasteries were built in the city such as the one dedicated to Santa Maria (Vor Frue Kirke) and San Giovanno (Skt Hans Kirke). In 1279 the Franciscan friars arrived in Odense and founded their own monastery (Gråbrødre Kloster).

How to orient yourself

How to get

By plane

• 55.47666710.3308331 "Hans Christian Andersen" Airport (IATA: ODE). The airport has national and international air links, although these have shrunk with the opening of the Great Belt Bridge. In the summer season there are numerous routes from / to Italian cities such as Parma, Florence is Trieste.  

On the train

• 55.401710.38722 Odense Station (Odense Banegård Center). There are stops for international trains to / from Amsterdam, Hamburg (4/5 hours), Stockholm is Basel plus various intercity and few regional trains. A large shopping center was built next to the station which also serves as a terminus for suburban buses.  

How to get around

What see

• 55.378810.37171 Zoo, Søndre Boulevard 306 (Bus stop), ☎ 45 66 11 13 60, @[email protected]. Adults: € 21-27; Children 12-14 €. Mon-Fri, Sun 9: 00-16: 00; Sat 9: 00-20: 00. 

Religious architectures

• 55.395410.3889892 Cathedral of San Canuto. Founded in 1086 but rebuilt in the 14th-15th centuries, it is one of the most important brick Gothic churches in Denmark; the interior, simple but grandiose, preserves the relics of the titular saint, patron saint of the Denmark, and two important works by the sculptor Claus Berg. The large carved triptych of the choir (1521) and the tomb of King John are preserved in the crypt.  
• 55.399210.38763 Church of San Giovanni (Sankt Hans Kirke).  
• 55.396310.39094 Sankt Albani Kirke.  

Civil architectures

• 55.399110.38655 Odense Castle (Odense Slot), Nørregade 36, ☎ 45 66131372.  

Museums

• 55.3986610.39066 Hans Christian Andersen Museum, Bangs Boder 29, ☎ 45 65 51 46 01. 55 DKK. Mon-Sun 10 am-5pm. Museum dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen housed in the house where the writer is presumed to have been born. 

• 55.394510.38737 Hans Christian Andersen's childhood home (H.C. Andersens Barndomshjem), Munkemøllestræde 3-5, ☎ 45 65 51 46 01, @[email protected].. Adults 125 Crowns. The ticket is also valid for a visit to the writer's birthplace but must be completed on the date printed on the purchase ticket. Tue-Sun 11: 00-16: 00. Another smaller museum dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen and set up in the house where the family moved in May 1807, when the writer was just 2 years old. Andersen stayed in the apartment with his mother even after his father's death in 1816 but the two were forced to move in the following year because the entire house was auctioned by the owner's heirs. Andersen's mother worked as a washerwoman at the Odense palace but had found time to remarry a man younger than her. He had contracted the habit of alcohol and perhaps this influenced the decision of the adolescent Andersen to leave Odense permanently for Copenhagen in 1819. In 1931 the municipality of Odense bought the house with the intention of making it a museum and providing to bring it back to its state native to. Today's exhibition is staged both in the apartment of the Andersens and in that of their neighbors of the time, the Köckers and occupies a space of just 42 m². The visit must also be booked by writing to the e-mail address above.

Please note that a new building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma is under construction to house the exhibition in 2020. The museum in Munkemøllestræde 3 could close its doors in 2018 and its collections temporarily moved to Claus Bergs Gade 11 awaiting the inauguration of the new museum.  

• 55.397910.3948 Møntergården, Overgade 48, ☎ 45 6551 4601, @[email protected]. Tue-Sun 10: 00-16: 00.  
• 55.365810.38429 The village of Funen (Den Fynske Landsby), Sejerskovvej 20 (From the central station take bus n. 110 or 111 in the direction of Nr. Broby. They both stop at the museum entrance), ☎ 45 6551 4601, @[email protected]. Adults 75 - 100 Crowns depending on the season. Children up to 17 years free. Tue-Sun 10: 00-16: 00.  
• 55.3995310.3918810 Carl Nielsen Museum, Claus Bergs Gade 11, ☎ 45 65 51 46 01. Museum dedicated to the composer Carl Nielsen, born in the nearby town of Sortelung on June 9, 1865. 
• 55.3950310.3818311 Brandts Klædefabrik, Brandts Passage 8. A modern art gallery and a museum of the history of Danish photography set up in a former textile factory. The center hosts several exhibitions throughout the year dedicated to Danish and international artists. 
• 55.4028210.3859612 Danish Railway Museum, Dannebrogsgade 24 (Near the train station), ☎ 45 66 13 66 30, fax: 45 66 19 02 20, @[email protected]. Adults: 80 crowns. Children 0-17 years: free admission. Mon-Sun 10: 00-16: 00. Collections of steam locomotives and vintage trains. Some wagons are furnished with sofas upholstered in red velvet. In the surrounding gardens, a railway has been rebuilt and run by miniature trains and a playground with slides has been set up for the little ones. In the summer, the museum promotes short excursions around Odense with vintage trains or toy trains (reservation required). 

Events and parties

What to do

• 55.369410.37781 Skovsøen (Fruens Bøge) (Reachable in a few minutes from the central station with a local or regional train. Get off at the small station of Fruens Bøge, next to that of the zoo). Pond surrounded by a park (Fruens Bøge) in the southern suburbs of Odense. Very popular with locals for weekend outings even in winter. Children and adults enjoy skating on the frozen surface of the lake and cross-country skiing in the surrounding woods. At the end of June on the occasion of the feast of St. John (Sankt Hans) huge bonfires are lit. Other sporting events and competitions take place there throughout the year.  

Shopping

• 55.404710.39081 Fyn Bazaar, Thriges Plads 3, @[email protected]. Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm. A singular shopping center, inaugurated in 2007 taking the structure of a typical Middle Eastern bazaar as a model. The stands are arranged on a total area of ​​7,000 m².  

How to have fun

Shows

• 55.398510.38521 Odense Teater.  
• 55.39777110.3500552 Odense Stadion.  
• 55.37166710.4488893 Arena Fyn.  

Night clubs

The city's nightlife is concentrated in the Brandts Passage gallery area. In addition to numerous restaurants, there are bars and pubs open until late.

• 55.3951410.38134 Australian Bar, Brandts Passage 10, ☎ 45 31 73 73 16. 40 crowns for those who enter after 23:00 20 crowns for the cloakroom. Thu-Sat 22: 00-05: 00. A pub that turns into a disco after midnight. Very popular, the visitors entertain themselves in various games before starting the dances. Various films are also shown. 
• 55.3958810.380335 Cafe Biografen, Amfipladsen 13, ☎ 45 66 13 16 16, @[email protected]. Mon-Sun 10 am-11pm. Retro restaurant with restaurant service that doubles as a movie theater. Between 10:00 and 14:00 on Sunday you can take advantage of a brunch-buffet service at reasonable prices. 
• 55.397410.379456 Musikhuset Dexter, Vindegade 65, ☎ 45 63 11 27 28. A place where bands of various genres, especially jazz, perform. Not particularly suitable for very young people. 
• 55.396110.385827 ^{[link not working]}Franck A, Jernbanegade 4/6, ☎ 45 66 12 27 57. 
• 55.3946410.383448 Froggys, Vestergade 68, ☎ 45 65 90 74 47. 
• 55.3977410.393779 Retro Club, Overgade 47, ☎ 45 20 92 69 26. 

Where to eat

Average prices

• Cuckoos Nest. 
• Brasserie Klitgaard. 
• Den Gamle Kro. Set up in a 17th century half-timbered house. 
• Under Lindetraet. Set up in an 18th century cottage opposite Hans Christian Andersen's house, the restaurant specializes in a French-Danish type of cuisine. 

Where stay

Moderate prices

• Danhostel Odense. 140 room hostel. 

Average prices

• First Hotel Grand. 
• City Hotel (Close to the Hans Christian Andersen museum). 

High prices

• Radisson SAS HC Andersen Hotel. 
• Clarion Collection Hotel Plaza. 68-room stylish hotel old english. 

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

• Kerteminde - Pretty town and fishing port of about 6,000 inhabitants at the eastern end of the fjord of the same name and about 19 km north-east of Odense. Founded in the 11th century, it preserves some monuments of interest such as the 16th century church of San Lorenzo and 17th century merchants' mansions, some of which have been transformed into a hotel or B&B. Among the museums, the Ladby Viking Museum which houses the reconstruction of a 9th century Viking ship whose wreck was found by chance in 1935 by peasants intent on plowing. Kerteminde has a marina and various types of accommodation including a campsite.
• 55.17638910.4894443 Egeskov Castle, Egeskov Gade 3 (TO Kværndrup), ☎ 45 62 27 10 16. Located about 30 km from the city, it is one of the best preserved Renaissance "water" castles inEurope. Its construction dates back to 1554.  

Streets passing through Odense

Kolding ← Middelfart ←

OR  IS

→ Nyborg → Copenhagen

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Odense
• Commons contains images or other files on Odense

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