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Odense Attractions
Less than a kilometer (1/2 mile) west of the city center is Superbowl, Grøneløkkenvej (tel. 70-11-11-55; bus: 91 or 92), a complex of amusements and diversions that are entirely devoted to popular American culture. It incorporates facilities for indoor go-cart racing, an indoor version of American-style miniature golf, several bowling alleys, and a small-scale collection of rides and games inspired by the theme parks of Florida. Each individual attraction within the park maintains its own hours and entrance policies, but the best way to appreciate this site's activities is to head here anytime daily between 10am and 6pm, when, for an all-inclusive fee of DKK80 ($14/£8), you'll have unlimited access to all of them.
7 Results
- Historic Site
Carl Nielsens Barndomshjem (Carl Nielsen's Childhood Home)
Thirteen kilometers (8 miles) from Odense, the childhood house of the famous composer is now a museum and archive of his life. Nielsen lived here until his confirmation in 1879. He was born as one of a dozen children to a poor peasant family, his father a house painter and amateur… - Neighborhood
Den Fynske Landsby (Funen Village)
If Hans Christian Andersen himself were to come back to life and land in this village, he'd feel that the world had never changed. This is the Danish version of Scotland's mystical "Brigadoon," where some 30 buildings, dating from the 17th to the 19th century, keep alive the village… - Landmark
Egeskov Castle
This moated Renaissance island castle is the best preserved of its type in Europe. Plan to spend at least a morning or an afternoon viewing the castle and its historical gardens. Constructed in 1554, it is still privately owned and still inhabited by the descendants of Henrik Bille,… - Park/Garden
Frydenlund
Sometimes when we've had enough of H. C. Andersen and his fairy tales, we like to secure the makings of a picnic lunch and escape to this bird sanctuary and park 20km (12 miles) southwest of Odense near the village of Tommerup. Some 200 different species of pheasants, ducks, geese,… - Historic Site
H. C. Andersens Barndomshjem (H. C. Andersen's Childhood Home)
Visit Andersen's humble childhood abode, where the fairy-tale writer lived from 1807 to 1819. From what is known of Andersen's childhood, his mother was a drunken, superstitious washerwoman, and Andersen was a gawky boy, lumbering and graceless, the victim of his fellow urchins'… - Historic Site
Ladbyskibet
Admittedly, the ruins of a 10th-century Viking ship, discovered in 1935, don't equal those vessels discovered in the Oslofjord and displayed on Oslo's Bygdøy peninsula. But if you're not going on to Oslo, this is your best shot at seeing what one of those ships that terrified the… - Religious Site
Skt. Knuds Domkirke
Dating from the 13th century, this is the only purely Gothic cathedral in Denmark. It was named after King Knud (Canute), who reigned from 1080 to 1086. Of a certain ghoulish interest in the crypt is the skeleton of Knud II, who was slain in 1086 by farmers angered at the taxes he'd…
Odense Shopping
Inspiration Zinch, Vestergade 82-84 (tel. 66-12-96-93), offers the widest selection of Danish design and handicrafts on the island of Funen. All the big names are here, everything from Royal Copenhagen to Georg Jensen, but you will also come across younger and more modern designers, with whose names you might be unfamiliar. In the heart of the old town, opposite Hans Christian Andersen's house, you'll find a display of Danish crafts and Christmas decorations in a typical atmosphere of Old Funen, at Klods Hans, Hans Jensens Stæde 34 (tel. 66-11-09-40). Another outlet is Smykker, 3 Klaregade (tel. 66-12-06-96), which offers museum copies of Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Viking jewelry -- all made in gold, sterling silver, and bronze in the outlet's own workshop. College Art, Grandts Passage 38 (tel. 66-11-35-45), has assembled a unique collection of posters, lithographs, silk-screens, original art, and cards. The best gallery for contemporary art is Galleri Torso, Hasselvej 25 (tel. 66-13-44-66). Finally, if none of the above shops has what you want, head for Rosengårdcentret at Munkerisvej and Ørbækvej (tel. 66-15-91-18; www.rosengaardcentret.dk). It's Denmark's biggest shopping center, with nearly 110 stores all under one roof.
Odense Nightlife
There are lots of cultural events in Odense, foremost among which are performances by the Odense Symphony Orchestra. Throughout much of the year, concerts are presented in the Carl Nielsen Hall, Claus Bergs Gade 9 (tel. 66-12-00-57 for ticket information). Tickets cost DKK70 to DKK220 ($12-$37/£7-£22), depending on the event. During the warm-weather months, the orchestra's role is less formal. In August, for example, the group is more likely to play outdoors at the marketplace in front of the vegetable stands. Because of their location, these performances have been referred to as "the Vegetable Concerts." In August, on Saturdays at 11am, the orchestra presents free live music at Skovsoen park.
Boogies, Nørregade 21-23 (tel. 66-14-00-39), attracts the most mixed crowd in town, including some of Odense's gay and lesbian population, who blend in with an otherwise straight clientele.
At Odense's railway station, Frank A.'s Café, Jernbanegade 4 (tel. 66-12-27-57), operates as a cafe throughout the day, and as such, draws a respectable crowd of drinkers and diners who appreciate the tasty Danish platters, which cost from DKK79 to DKK225 ($13-$38/£7.90-£23). But the real heart and soul of the place doesn't become visible until after 10pm, when all pretenses of culinary skill are abandoned, and the cafe becomes one of the loudest, wildest, and most raucous nightlife venues in town. Then, live music -- Brazilian, Latin, or simple rock 'n' roll -- transforms the room into everybody's favorite rendezvous. Come here to be convivial, amid a setting that's loaded with kitschy bric-a-brac and dozens of single or wannabe-single local residents. Food service is daily 10am to 10pm; nightlife action runs 10pm to at least 3am, and sometimes later.
