Guide Service all over Funen

A tour of the picturesque little town of Faaborg is always worthwhile. Let me tell you some of the half forgotten tales to let the days bygone come back to life for a while.

Faaborg was a town of merchants, craftsmen, sailors, churches and monastaries and even had it's own gaol. Many of the old buildings can still be seen in the townscape, and while we make our rounds I will tell you about life in Faaborg in days of yore and about how things are turning out for the town of Faaborg in our modern times.

Faaborg is rightly a town of Danish hygge.

Experience one of the most beautiful buildings in Odense from the inside, which means the City Hall of Odense, situated beautifully opposite the cathedral. During the tour I will introduce you to rooms which are usually not open to the public.

When you experience the building from the inside you will see impressive architechture from the past as well as today and a perfect match of colours. You will see a magnificent painting Fynsk Forår, Spring of Funen, by Yann Kai Nielsen, the wedding room and the memory wall with good stories from the past and the present. The city counsel room and an anteroom with portraits of previous mayors by some of the best painters in Denmark are also on our list.

In the grand hall we find impressive frescoes by the Funen painter Johannes Larsen and I will explain about Hans Christian Andersen who was appointed honorary citizen of Odense exactly here in 1869 – in the old city hall used before the present one was built! As a must the tour also allows you a view of the Queen's State Rooms for when she visits Odense – only when the Queen is not present of course.

The City Hall is an old building with stairs but also lifts. We do guided tours during normal working hours of City Hall only. If you want an exclusive tour outside normal working hours there will be an extra fee for security.

The guided tour begins at the ferry to Bjørnø in the harbour of Faaborg. 

You will visit the little village, Bjørnø By, with the old half-timbered farmhouses and stone fences.

On the walk round the island, you will enjoy the beautiful landscape, the birds and the wild plants of the location and the different types of coast at first hand.

I will find a nice spot, where you can eat our packed lunch.

During the walk, I will tell about the formation of the archipelago, landscape formation today, and the everyday life on the island.

City walk in the interesting harbour district of Odense – splendid development. I have been involved in the planning from the outset, and now you can learn about the interesting stories. 

The new district at the harbour in Odense is a lovely mixture of owner-occupied flats and rented flats. Furthermore, there are a lot of new company domiciles and old company buildings that have existed here for many decades. Some of the buildings you can admire is the old tollbooth and the Northatlantic House, Nordatlantens Hus which also holds a wellrenowned restaurant.

The challenge is to make these different building types and activities coexist in harmony and beauty. This is about the interplay of living, working and moving people and goods through an area in a way that maximizes Quality of Life for all. Let me tell my story, i.e. partly seen from the viewpoint of the communal housing societies. 

A city walk in Odense with sights from historical buildings to urban freeways and bustling modern areas.

Odense has undergone a massive transformation the last few years, under the motto ''Going from being a big city to being a metropolis''. A wide 4-lane road was constructed through the city's beautiful old centre in the 1970's. That road has finally been removed and the inner city is slowly being reunited.

We'll take a walk through the city centre along the newly built areas that the new tram will go through. During our walk, I will tell you some of the interesting stories about all the problems and challenges that digging up the earth around here posed while the area was still under construction. Whether being problems with pipelines, electric cables or how on earth they managed to plant such beautiful trees on top of an underground parking space. Whether it's an ancient bishop's burial place or the well-known ruin from the 15th century that had to be moved once again. We'll also explore some of the inner city's beautiful secluded spots.

We'll walk in the beautiful Hans Christian Andersen neighbourhood, where I'll give you a detailed account of his life and we'll pass the house where he was born as well as the new museum which you'll see from the outside. Afterwards we'll take a walk along Odense River in Eventyrhaven towards Odense Cathedral, where I will tell you about Saint Canute's murder and the city's abbeys.

Coffee and/or lunch arrangements at one of the city's excellent restaurants can be arranged by Guideservice Danmark.

Den Fynske Landsby, the Funen Village, is an open-air museum, where you can learn about living conditions and village life in Denmark in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This open-air museum for agriculture and rural life on Fyn was opened in 1946 and consists of almost 30 buildings, which have been moved here from all over Funen and meticulously rebuilt. This museum attempts to recreate an authentic village environment of the 18th and 19th centuries with clear social barriers reflected in the buildings: from the smallholder to the farmer and from the workhouse to the rectory and moreover the water mill, the windmill and finally the village school.

Den Fynske Landsby is situated in the beautiful woods near the forests Hunderup and Fruens Bøge, and the walk there is enjoyable in its own right, but you certainly get a deeper understanding if you visit the buildings and have a look inside. They are furnished with authentic pieces and kitchen utensils from the period.

On the outskirts of the village the 200 year old inn is open for business. During the season you can enjoy your tea or coffee in their beautiful garden and the restaurant stays open all year round.

In the Middle Ages there were four churches in Odense: Sct. Albany Church, Church of Our Lady, Sct. Hans Church – with the outside brick pulpit and Sct. Knuds Church (Odense Cathedral). The last three of these still exist today.

In 1086, king Canute the Holy was killed in front of the high altar in Sct. Albany Church. Only 15 years later, this brutal ruler was canonized because of the scene of his murder and Odense got a new cathedral named after Sct. Canute.

The cathedral is the finest gothic building in Denmark and absolutely worth visiting. It is also known for its altarpiece made by Claus Berg.

My guests prefer usually to see the inside of the Cathedral and the outside of both the Cathedral and Sct. Hans Church and a broader tour into the renaissance in Odense.

This cycling tour starts at the town hall of Bogense. We bike along the coast and witness the overwhelming bird and animal life in the coastal lagoon. We bike through forests, pass the manor houses Gyldensteen and Harritslevgård and I tell you the stories of their importance for the neighbourhood and the town.

Back in Bogense I will give you a guided tour through the narrow streets of the inner town Bogense has a long-standing history which I'll unfold for you. We will find Manneken Pis, a copy of the original sculpture from Bruxelles, which is occasionally dressed up. I will talk to you about the old inn "Erik Menveds Kro", named after the king Erik Menved. In 1288 he issued the the town of Bogense municipal charter. The inn is an old half-timbered house that dates back to 1543 and is considered to be the oldest inn on Funen.

Back at the town hall square I can highly recommend that you end your adventures with a visit to the Museum of Northern Funen, which is located in the former railway station.

Cycling a total of about 15 km at a moderate pace.

The little pictoresque town between the old ferries across Lillebælt got its name as it was the middle of three crossings (fart): Middelfart (Yes, the name sounds silly in English!)

The streets and the architecture testify the history of the charming coastal town from the Middle Ages till today. Real people and their stories are part of the tale. A small seafaring and agricultural settlement going through the age of industrialization.

The modern thriving town shows world class architecture and Scandinavia's very best museum of ceramic art, CLAY.

On this trip we go for a hike on the island of Lyø. The hike can be combined with a citywalk. 

The hike can be 4 or 8 kilometers. 

We walk to the eastern part of the island, where there is a beautiful and hilly landscape.

We can also walk to the westerns part and see the bellstone – a burial mound from the Peasant Stone Age.

While we walk we talk about the history of the island and how life on a small Island with only 80 inhabitants is today.  

The duration is 2 to 4 hours.

A guided tour of the fantastic parks at Egeskov is a wonderful experience. The colours are changing every minute. The gardeners of Egeskov are skilful and hardworking, and the magnificent international rewards are well deserved. Join in and hear the stories about the parks and the gardens.

The parks and the gardens are subdivided into various areas, you can reach everything on very well maintained gravel paths, and on the way you will see examples of the works of some renowned Danish sculptors.

The history of the gardens starts in 1722, due to inspiration from the royal baroque gardens of Fredensborg and Frederiksborg, and generations of owners have cherished, renewed and extended the gardens at Egeskov. Every year there will be new items, and the various owners have all contributed to the scenary.

The parks of Egeskov have won several important prizes, amongst others "Best European historic garden 2012". The gardens of Egeskov are counted amongst the 12 most spectacular gardens in the world and each garden area is surrounded by impressive hedges, some og which are more than 400 years old. Of course there is a vegatable garden and  of course it is 100% organic. You'll also have the opportunity to greet the peacocks of the castle, which roam the grounds.

On the guided tour you will enter the Dahlia Garden, the Fuchsia garden, the water garden, the garden of life, the renaissance garden with the styled bushes, the white garden and the scent garden with scents ranging from chocolate to lovesick tomcat and you are allowed to touch the plants.

You are welcome to visit the big conservatories where you can buy plants to take home.

You can round off your visit with a guided tour of the Castle or of the many fascinating exhibitions and museums. Each takes about an hour.

Winter: open for play and exhibitions (the House and garden are closed)
2.1. – 28.4. 10 – 16
10. -19.2. 16 – 21 open only for the LUMINIS event
9.12.- 30.12. 10 -16 (closed 24.+25.12)

Summer: Everything is open
29.4. – 23.6. 10 – 17 (The house 11 – 17)
24.6. – 6.8. 10 – 19 (The house 10 – 18)
7.8. – 22.10. 10 – 17 (The house 11 – 17)
23.10. – 29.10. 10 – 17. (The house closed)