Odense

Odense is the largest city on the island of Funen ("Fyn" in Danish) in Denmark. As Denmark's third-largest city, it offers the traveller a mixture of an exciting vibrant night-life, beautiful street-scapes, great shopping opportunities & a rich cultural heritage.



Understand
Odense is roughly in the centre of Funen, which lies between the larger Zealand island and the Jutland peninsula. The first recorded reference to the city dates back to 988 AD in a letter from the German Kaiser Otto III.

Some recent archaeological findings have indicated that a settlement has in fact been around since the Viking period. At that time, however, Odense was just the small centre of the Odin cult. In 1100, the first monastery, Saint Knud's was established by English Benedictine monks.

Until the middle of the 17th century, Odense enjoyed the position as a main trading-centre for the people from the surrounding areas. Local produce & livestock were exported from the city. However, a war with Sweden in the 1600s weakened the city's economy. This economic downturn continued until 1803 when a canal linking Odense with the Kattegat was opened. This swiftly changed Odense into a port city and over the next 100 years Odense quickly developed into the modern industrial city which it is today.

It has a population of about 178,000 people (2018), thus making it Denmark's 3rd largest city.

Odense is also the birthplace of the fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen, and the city proudly displays statues, parades and monuments in his memory. Andersen was born on 2 April 1805, in a tiny house on Munkemøllestræde, quite close to the cathedral. During his lifetime, Andersen created many famous fairy-tales which today are internationally famous. For example The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Snow Queen.


 * Visit Odense website

Copenhagen Airport
From Copenhagen Airport take the train from the airport directly to Odense via Copenhagen or drive along road E20 across the Great Belt Bridge (note the road toll on the bridge).

Billund Airport
From Billund Airport, take the local bus to either Kolding or Vejle and then get a train from there to Odense. Trains depart roughly every 30 minutes during the day and every two hours after 01:00. The total trip is roughly 90 minutes.



By train
DSB operates trains in and out of Odense. From Odense, you can take a direct train to many cities and towns throughout Denmark.

The trains run frequently and generally on time.

It's important that you have a valid ticket before you board the train, as it's not possible to buy tickets onboard.

Tickets to Odense are best purchased directly from DSB. For those planning ahead, you can get a good deal with the so-called Orange and Orange Fri tickets, available online only.

The trains generally offer very comfortable seating and drink vending machines onboard. For longer journeys, it's recommended that you buy food and beverages before you get on the train. If you travel 1st class on InterCity and InterCityLyn trains, there are free water, coffee, tea and snacks on the train.

When travelling on peak travel days or during rush hour, or if travelling in groups, it's advisable (but not mandatory) to reserve seats on the InterCity and InterCityLyn trains.

By car
Odense is in the centre of the island Funen (da.Fyn), and many Danes incorrectly consider it to be the centre of Denmark. The main highway between east (Zealand) and west (Jutland) Denmark, the E20, runs through the southern suburbs of the city. If you are driving from Germany, this highway branches of the highway from Germany (E45) right after the Kolding Ø exit. There is a toll for crossing the Great-Belt Bridge from Zealand to Funen, the cost is 235 kr one-way. Odense has a low emission zone: see Driving in Denmark.

By bus
The cream-coloured buses from FynBus travel to Odense from locations all over the island of Funen, Fredericia in Jutland, and Nykøbing on the island of Falster.

Regional buses arrive at and leave from the Odense Railway Center ("Odense Banegård Center"). The local city buses can be recognized from the regional buses by the length of the line number. Two-digit number lines are city buses while 3-digit numbers are regional and inter-city.

A map and schedule of available bus lines can be found on the Fynbus website which is partially available in English and German.

By yacht
Odense City has been made accessible to yachts by the construction of a 7-km-long canal from Odense Fjord to the old harbour. There are several marinas, however it is recommended that you make sure they have visitor berths before you arrive. You can also dock at marinas in Svendborg, Faaborg, Middelfart or Kerteminde, from which you should then take a train or bus to Odense.

By foot
Most of Odense's attractions, bars, restaurants & shopping areas are very easily accessibly on foot. All of the city's main hotels and hostels are in the city centre or train station areas. As a general rule all of the major attractions in the centre are between 5 and 10 minutes of each other.

A major exception to this is 'The Funen Village' (Den Fynske Landsby), which is about a 45-minute walk along the river. Similarly the zoo is on the same route, and is roughly 30 minutes from the city centre. Both of these attractions are sign-posted all the way along the river.

By bike
Odense is known for its good bicycle infrastructure. There are bicycle lanes along most major roads in addition to many commuter bicycle paths separated from the road system.

If you have not brought your own bike, the company Donkey Republic rent out bikes through an app.

By taxi
Taxis are relatively abundant throughout the city, but they are quite pricey when compared to local buses. Areas which usually have a large amount of taxis waiting to pick up customers include, the taxi pick-up point at the railway station, outside the Rosengård centre and at Fisketorvet.

On a Friday or Saturday night taxis can be found all over the city. You can not hail a taxi on the street. You can ask in a bar/restaurant for them to get one sent to come pick you up, use the taxi companies app, website or ring to them. Taxis do cost more at night time.

By boat


For those interested in a more relaxed break, a river boat (Odense Åfart) can be taken from the bridge in Munke Mose Park (Nyvestergade) to the Zoo and to the forest next to 'The Funen Village'. The journey, which takes around 30 minutes, is a very relaxing way of seeing Odense river, the Danish countryside on a summer day. Sometimes live jazz bands occasionally play on-board during the summer months.

Row-boats and paddle-boats can also be rented at the same location.

By bus
The buses from Fynbus are available all over Odense, and are fairly frequent. Almost all city buses passes through the Odense Railway Center ("Odense Banegård Center") in the course of their route. All city buses cost 23 kr for trips in the city, or 24 kr for trips in the suburbs as well as trips between the city and the suburbs. A full day ticket is available for 40 kr. It is also possible to get an electronic voucher card which can be charged with money for travel within Funen. You can get this card for a refundable deposit of 50 kr and the trips in the city and suburbs using this card will cost 10 kr. Tickets may also be purchased online through the FynBus.dk webshop or app, from which during school holidays you can buy a special tourist day ticket priced at 50 kr for one person (adult or child) or 150 kr for a group of 4 people.

The inner city bus route number 10 is free of charge; it only goes in a short loop around the city centre which makes it useful as a quick sightseeing tour.

By train
The regional train from Odense to Svendborg has a few stops in the Odense area. For example there is a stop at the picturesque Fruens Bøge area which is relatively near to The Funen Village. The regional train from Odense to Middelfart stops in Holmstrup which is a small village in the extreme western edge of the Odense municipality.

See








Do

 * Football: Odense Boldklub were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 1. Division, the second tier. Their home ground is Nature Energy Park (capacity 14,800) 2 km west of city centre.
 * Football: Odense Boldklub were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 1. Division, the second tier. Their home ground is Nature Energy Park (capacity 14,800) 2 km west of city centre.
 * Football: Odense Boldklub were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 1. Division, the second tier. Their home ground is Nature Energy Park (capacity 14,800) 2 km west of city centre.
 * Football: Odense Boldklub were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 1. Division, the second tier. Their home ground is Nature Energy Park (capacity 14,800) 2 km west of city centre.
 * Football: Odense Boldklub were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 1. Division, the second tier. Their home ground is Nature Energy Park (capacity 14,800) 2 km west of city centre.



Work
Work can be difficult to find in Denmark unless you already have a fairly good level of Danish fluency. However for those who cannot speak the language work can be found delivering news papers, working in kitchens or collecting glasses in bars.



Buy

 * Odense Pilsner & Odense Classic from the local brewery Albani. (Available in shops & bars throughout the city.)
 * Odense Marcipan (Available in supermarkets and sweet shops throughout the city.)

Drink


Bars in Odense have opening hours which tend to vary greatly. For example some bars close everyday at around midnight, while others stay open until 05:00 or even later.



Connect
There are free Wi-Fi hotspots and internet connected computers for public use at the public libraries. The computers may need to be booked ahead of time. There is also an internet café at the central station. Same thing for most cafés where internet are free to use too.



Stay safe

 * Odense is generally a safe town for visitors, but criminal activities and violence occasionally occur and caution is recommended late at night. Although there is not really any reason for tourists to venture there, the Vollsmose area is infamous in Denmark for its crime, social problems and a recent terrorism case. The problems are, however, highly exaggerated by the media and you will find the Vollsmose area to be no more unsafe than most places.

Cope
Maps of Odense can be purchased in the two shops in the train-station for 10 kr. Similarly there are maps placed all around the town for visitors, Most ATM machines in Odense close between 02:00 and 06:00, Most shops only accept Danish credit cards & will not take foreign cards. (One exception to this is Ryan's Irish Pub), Post offices can be located in the Brandts Passage, the Rosengård Center and at the northern exit of the central train station.

Go next

 * Kerteminde, about 20 km to the northeast, this cute seaside town with a large centre of 18th-century houses offers beautiful beaches, mini-golf & an aquarium, complete with sharks.
 * Ringe, an agricultural town in the middle of the island of Funen. A bit south near Kværndrup is the Egeskov Castle, a well-preserved Renaissance water castle.
 * Middelfart, a coastal town which is near to the bridge to the Jutland peninsula.
 * Nyborg, a coastal town which is complete with a mediaeval castle, beautiful gardens and walks by the harbour.
 * Fredericia, a beautiful medieval fortress town. 50 minutes by train this town offers beautiful walks along the old town walls, a gorgeous sandy blue-flag beach & the chance to visit the Jutland peninsula.
 * Copenhagen, Denmark's capital city. 90 minutes by intercity train. Visit the Mermaid, Tivoli Theme Park or the Carlsberg brewery.