Denmark's third largest city has everything you need, whether you are seeking activity, relaxation, or a combination of the two. It is easy to find your way around one of the oldest cities in the country. There are lovely green areas, even right in the heart of the city, but especially out along the river, which you can also explore by boat.

There is a rich cultural life. Art of all kinds and genres thrives, in theatres, on the streets, in the parks, the museums and art galleries. The traditional sits happily next to the contemporary and the avant-garde. There is an internationally renowned competition for violin, piano and flute named after the composer Carl Nielsen. There are orchestral concerts, theatre of all descriptions, a film festival, a jazz festival, exhibitions, street entertainers … there is always something happening at any time of the year.Then there is Brandts Klædefabri, a cultural centre which hosts all kinds of international art. But in Odense, art and culture is not restricted to formal venues, it is evident everywhere in the city. You will just come across all kinds of unusual and unexpected happenings.

The hotels are very good, there are restaurants to please any palate, including some of the best in Denmark, and shops and shopping centres offering everything imaginable. So come and enjoy the energy, the new impressions and the fun.

I love the city. I mainly come here for the Odense Film Festival in August, as I direct it. But this means I am here day and night then. There is an international atmosphere, and we are always made to feel welcome. The area around Brandts Klædefabrik is really unrivalled. Cinemas, international art of all kinds, cafés and restaurants all make a complete experience. It is also fantastic that all the cinemas are packed, even in the mornings, with enthusiastic and interested people. Even though it is the biggest festival for short and documentary films in Denmark, it is still really quite unique.
 
Christian Braad Thomsen,
film director and writer, Copenhagen

If there is one thing which pervades the atmosphere on Fyn, and Odense in particular, then it is the spirit of Hans Christian Andersen. Very few have shared his talent of writing for the old and young alike everywhere in the world or left such a significant imprint.
Explore the city where the writer was born and create your own fairy-tale.

t can be difficult to choose between the country or a town, between tranquillity and the infectious beat, between action and relaxation, wide skies and headlong activity.
But you do not have to choose one or the other. Why not both? You can combine exploring the third largest city in Denmark with days out in the countryside. Shopping and visits to manor houses, cows in the barns and penguins in the zoo, city bustle and village ponds, art exhibitions and market days.

Odense is, in fact, the city outside of Copenhagen which offers the largest number of museums in Denmark, and the majority of them are conveniently within walking distance from the city centre and from each other. Some of them you can even sail to along the Odense Å.