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.