Top 10 Things to See in Odense Denmark

I had never heard of Odense until a recent trip to Denmark, but I became almost immediately enchanted with Denmark's third largest city and home to Hans Christian Andersen, Odense's claim to fame.  Odense has a welcoming feeling, but its more than that.  Perhaps its the local pride of Odense citizens at keeping the stories of Hans Christian Andersen alive that permeates life in Odense.  Regardless, I didn't stop smiling during my visit. 

 #1.  Probably the only place in the world, where in the tourist areas, the traffic lights feature a walking figure of Hans Christian Andersen, and likely the last photo I will ever take of a traffic light.

 

#2.  The Hans Christian Andersen Museum is worth a visit and you can even visit the house he grew up in.  The photo above is the view from the room where Hans Christian Andersen was thought to be born.  Hans Christian Andersen became famous while he was still alive so many of his personal belongings are on display at the museum, including intricate paper cuttings that he used to do. 

 

#3.  Right beside the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, is The Tinderbox, a children's cultural center where children's own stories come to life.  I can't recommend The Tinderbox enough if you have children.  Creativity in numerous forms is encouraged and judging by the enthusiastic children we saw, kids love it!

#4.   In summer this park is home to three plays a day centering around Hans Christian Andersen.  It is also a popular outing with locals who will bring along a picnic lunch.

#5.  If you're lucky enough you may just happen to run into Torben, who is out of costumer here, but has played Hans Christian Andersen over 6000 times all over the world.  He's quite the character and his love of Hans Christian Andersen is evident.  We ran into him on a Sunday afternoon.  Talk about meeting the locals!

 

#6.  While public access is not allowed into this historic building, I included it because it is a seniors home where additional care is provided to those who can no longer live on their own.  It is in the heart of Odense.  I loved how central it was and think it says a lot about a community that devotes prime real estate to some of its oldest citizens.

#7.  This street is right across the street from where Hans Christian Andersen grew up.  It's in the central part of Odense and with its cobblestone streets and well cared for historic houses it's hard to imagine that at one time this was one of the poorest areas of town.  Today, it's quite the opposite.  I could have wandered these streets for hours!

#8.   Biking the river in Odense, past parks and historic rambling houses with well maintained gardens is a great way to see a part of the city enjoyed by locals.  Bike rentals are readily available in Odense and its a very bike friendly town, with 50% of its citizens biking to school or work everyday.

 

#9.  There are a couple of very old historic churches in Odense which are beautiful and reminds you that Odense is rich in history.

#10.  Statues of characters from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales are everywhere.  Our guides said that locals feel it is their responsibility to keep the memory of Hans Christian Andersen alive.  I must say they do a good job of it and it's fun to try and figure out which fairy tale the statues are from.  Any guesses on the second photo?  I admit I had to ask our guide.

From my observations, I think its safe to say that the citizens of Odense would have made Hans Christian Andersen proud. 

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