Denmark
Discover Odense
Your quick guide to a stay in Odense
- Population
- 180.000
- Main airport
- CPH
- Best time to visit
- May to September
- Climate
- Summer 16°C · Winter 2°C
About Odense
Odense is the third city of Denmark and the storybook one — Hans Christian Andersen was born here in 1805 in a tiny half-timbered house at Munkemøllestræde 3, and grew up among the cobbled lanes of what is now the H.C. Andersens Kvarter. The lovingly designed H.C. Andersens Hus museum (reopened in 2021 in a contemporary Kengo Kuma-designed sunken pavilion that is itself worth the visit) brings the writer's strange, often dark fairy tales to life through immersive multimedia installations — it's genuinely one of the best literary museums in Europe. Beyond Andersen, the central pedestrian streets, Funen's Art Museum (a serious collection of 19th-century Danish painting), the Funen Village open-air museum, and the medieval St Canute's Cathedral (where Saint Canute IV was killed in 1086, his skeleton still on display in a glass case in the crypt) make a full and varied weekend. Odense is consistently ranked among the most cycling-friendly cities in the world; rent a bike on arrival. New direct trains across the Storebælt Bridge link Odense to Copenhagen in 1h 15min.
Common questions about visiting Odense
When is the best time to visit Odense?
Do I need a visa to visit Odense?
It depends on your nationality. Run a quick check to see whether you need a Schengen visa, ETIAS, or can travel visa-free into Denmark.
How do I get to Odense?
How do I get around Odense?
Keep exploring Denmark
Plan the rest of your Odense trip
Schengen day calculator
Plan around the 90 days in any 180 rule — see how long you can stay and when you can re-enter.
Travel insurance for Denmark
Medical, cancellation and baggage cover compared — what to look for before you book.