Odense

Pronounced o-thn-se (or ohn-se if you're local), Funen's millennium-old hub is Denmark's third-biggest city, a buzzing place undergoing a very major revamp. The birthplace of fairy-tale writer extraordinaire Hans Christian Andersen, there’s a profusion of Andersen-related attractions, including museums, a children's centre and sculptures interpreting his most famous stories. Even the lights at pedestrian crossings feature Andersen in silhouette.

Yet there's much more to Odense than top-hatted storytellers, including several great museums, imaginative art galleries, Denmark's best zoo, a superb 'village' museum of historic houses, and a fizzing bar and cafe scene. With dozens of parks, the city is also a family-friendly destination that lives by its motto: at leger er at leve (to play is to live).