Things to do in Odense
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Danmarks Jernbanemuseum
Clamber aboard a diverting collection of 19th-century locomotives at Danmarks Jernbanemuseum, just behind the train station. The museum has about two dozen engines and wagons, including double-decker carriages and the Royal Saloon Car belonging to Christian IX, fully kitted out with everything a king might need – even a writing desk. There’s also a huge collection of Märklin model trains, and a separate exhibition about Denmark’s ferries. Audiovisual explanations are in English, German and Danish.
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Fyns Kunstmuseum
In a stately neoclassical building, the Fyns Kunstmuseum has a serene atmosphere and contains a quality collection of Danish art from the 18th century to the present, chronologically arranged. Highlights include Gustava Emilie Grüner’s cheerful Portraegruppe Familien Leunbach and HA Brendekilde’s harrowing, powerful Udslidt, (‘Worn Out’), depicting a dead farm worker and distressed woman in a vast, flat field. Changing exhibitions are also staged.
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Odense Zoo
Denmark’s second largest zoo borders the river, 2km south of the city centre. The animals generally have large enclosures and the zoo supports conservation and educational programmes. It’s home to tigers, lions, giraffes, zebras, chimpanzees and African birds, and there’s an ‘oceanium’ with penguins and – the zoo’s biggest attraction – manatees. Children can also enjoy petting donkeys, a playground and lots of animal related games.
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Kræz Night & Day
A night-time venue for live music, comedy, karaoke and lectures, this is also one for a summer’s day – outdoor tables merge with those of several other restaurants around pedestrianised Gråbrødre Plads to form a convivial mass of diners. Food is bistro-style – soup, Greek salad, burgers, Mexican platters, baked salmon etc – but served in monster portions and with tasty twists. A decadent weekend brunch includes chocolate brownies. Service can be slow.
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Bymuseet Møntergården
Odense’s city museum, Bymuseet Møntergården, is in a courtyard of half-timbered Renaissance houses. The ‘Creative Man’ exhibition on the ground floor focuses on Funen’s very early cultural history, while upstairs there are nice Stone, Bronze, Iron and Viking Age finds, including a lur (a snaking bronze instrument sounding like a trombone).
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Brandts Klædefabrik
The former textile mill on Brandts Passage has been converted into a sprawling cultural centre and cinema, Brandts Klædefabrik, with a photography museum, modern art gallery and exhibition tracing the history of the Danish media. Bright and capacious, it holds around 25 changing exhibitions annually by artists from all over the world. People aged under 18 are admitted free.
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Milos
Rare in Denmark, the Greek taverna is represented in Odense by Milos. Its fresh white interior is populated by charming waiters. The long menu incorporates Greek favourites such as moussaka, souvlaki and keftedes – a welcome change from open sandwiches. Veggies can tuck into pikilia (a tapas-style selection of feta-filled spinach tarts, stuffed peppers and dolmades).
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Odense Åfart
From May to mid-September, Odense Åfart runs 35-minute river rides to the wooded Fruens Bøge area, where there’s a ‘nature playground’ full of giant wooden toadstools and centipedes. From here, it’s a 15-minute walk to Den Fynske Landsby. The boat stops at Odense Zoo en route. Trips leave Munke Mose on the hour from 10am and 5pm.
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Fyrtøjet – Et Kulturhus For Børn
In the charming Fyrtøjet – Et Kulturhus For Børn, youngsters explore the world of Hans Christian Andersen through storytelling and music (in English as well as Danish from June to August). They can dress up as Andersen characters, have their faces painted, act out stories and draw fairy-tale pictures in the art room. All materials are included in the admission price.
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Den Gamle Kro
The atmospheric Gamle Kro spreads through several 17th-century houses, with a glass-roofed courtyard and medieval cellar. Traditional Danish (eg fillet of sole stuffed with salmon and spinach) and French (eg Chateaubriand or pork with Lyonnaise potatoes) recipes are mostly meat-based, but there’s usually one veggie main. There’s also a huge wine list.
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Restaurant Klitgaard
This small gourmet place, noted for its use of fresh, locally grown seasonal ingredients, is one of the best places we’ve eaten in Denmark. The pairings of ingredients are clever (slow-roasted, tender duck breast, with the merest sliver of foie gras for richness) and surprising (like the sensational rhubarb sorbet with pickled rhubarb and lavender oil).
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Den Grimme Ælling
A charming restaurant in a cobbled lane, The Ugly Duckling specialises in varied high-quality buffets. One area is set aside for cold ingredients – a rainbow of new potatoes, herring, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet corn, pickled red cabbage and the like. Hot-plate items include fried plaice, succulent lumps of beef and plenty of sauces and gravies.
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Café Biografen
Ducks waddle around terrace tables at this cheerful place beside the Brandts Klædefabrik cultural centre. The café does a decent selection of baguettes, salads, quiches, burgers, tapas and tostadas, plus coffee, cakes and beer. Its varied clientele, from little old ladies to moody-looking artists, makes for great people-watching. Order at the bar.
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Den Fynske Landsby
A delightful open-air museum, Den Fynske Landsby has borrowed period houses from around Funen and laid them out to create a small country village, complete with barnyard animals, a duck pond, apple trees and flower gardens. Costumed ‘peasants’ tend to the geese, while children in knickerbockers play with hoops and sticks.
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Café Cuckoo’s Nest
A mid-priced place where you can go for breakfast and stay until the wee hours, Cuckoo’s Nest does everything from scrambled eggs to cocktails. There’s open courtyard seating, backgammon sets and occasional live blues and jazz. Veggies should double-check ingredients, as fish sometimes counts as a vegetable.
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Froggy’s Café
A good people-watching spot overlooking the main pedestrian street, Froggy’s has an all-day menu of reasonably priced burgers, pastas, omelettes and salads. It’s a late-opening nightspot on Friday and Saturday, when punters are shown the door at 5am. Sunday morning offers a restorative brunch (89kr).
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Asia House
This eatery, apparently the oldest Thai restaurant in Scandinavia, is worth a visit for its delicious authentic food. Among the spicy chicken, pork and beef dishes are three vegetarian mains. The best time is Friday or Saturday night, when there’s a grand buffet spread.
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Mona Rosa
A cosy Mexican restaurant near Brandts Passage, Mona Rosa’s day menu (chilli con carne and burritos) lengthens in the evening to include hefty steaks, accompanied by a help-yourself salad bar. In summer there are tables in a cosy courtyard between half-timbered houses.
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Danmarks Mediemuseum
Danmarks Mediemuseum traces the development of printing in Denmark over the last three centuries. One section covers lithography, engraving, bookbinding and paper-making; the other section concentrates on newspaper production. Commentary is mostly in Danish.
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Jernalderlandsbyen
Slip back through the millennia at Jernalderlandsbyen, a smaller scale (than Den Fynske Landsby) Iron Age village built using methods gleaned from archaeological finds. The village is 5km northwest of the city – take bus 91 or 810 (24kr, 10 minutes).
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Ryan’s
In the evening there’s often live Irish folk music at this friendly Irish pub near the tourist bureau, with Guinness and Kilkenny on tap. It’s popular with local university students and with footy fans when matches are showing on the big screens.
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Kunsthallen Brandts
Kunsthallen Brandts, the modern art gallery, has four large halls focusing on new trends in the visual arts. Thought provoking and ever-changing displays include paintings, sculptures, installations and exhibits on Scandinavian design.
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Odense Koncerthus
Home of the Odense Symphony Orchestra. The classical music programme commonly includes works by native son Carl Nielsen. Ticket prices vary according to the concert – anything from 70kr upwards. The Koncerthus closes from mid-June to mid-August.
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HC Andersens Hus
HC Andersens Hus lies amid the miniaturised streets of the old poor quarter, the ‘City of Beggars’. The attraction incorporates Andersen’s birthplace, although its seven rooms are disappointingly sparse.
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Munke Mose
The riverside Munke Mose park is an attractive place for a picnic, stroll or boat trip. Rowing boats and swan-shaped pedaloes (around kr75 per hour) are for hire between 10:00 and 17:00, May to mid-September.
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