{"id":1109,"date":"2020-06-30T14:25:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T12:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/?p=1109"},"modified":"2023-03-20T22:54:02","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T21:54:02","slug":"odense-er-meget-mere-end-h-c-andersen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/odense-hans-christian-andersen-and-so-much-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Odense \u2013 Hans Christian Andersen and Much More"},"content":{"rendered":"

When talking about Odense it makes a difference whether you live here and therefore already know the city. Or whether you are a busy tourist, arriving for the first time trying to take in all of Denmark and its fairytale attractions in just a few days. Obviously your expectations and the amount of time you can spend will shape your visit.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Odense River<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Danes enjoy singing the old music hall classic \u201cVi sejler op ad \u00e5en\u201d, which translates into something like \u201cGo Boating up the River\u201d. Most Danes will know the tune and happily join in singing, sometimes in their thousands when the national football team play a succesful match. The song was composed and the lyrics written for a theatre play back in the 1890s and the river mentioned was the Odense river, Odense \u00c5. Not all Danes know this, so you might now be able to impress your listener.
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\nBoating on the river is different these days as many people in Odense now think of the Odense River as a place to go canoeing, kayaking or by pedalo on the river. You can also take the tour boat or walk along the river marveling at the gazebos and boat houses and of course the ducks and swans that you find here. Every day, all year round you will find lots of activities going on along the river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you know the fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen you may have noticed his knack for infusing life and personality into plants, animals and ordinary objects which you might notice on a walk along the river, e.g. willow trees, ducks or ugly ducklings. If you walk along the river you might want to imitate the famous writer by infusing personalities into plants or objects you notice on your walk? It is definately something I indulge in myself when I take children for a walk along the river and we imagine what the trees might think, which animals have which personality or feelings. Children love this game and they create the most phantastic characters. They do much better than me. If you bring along old newspapers and a towel, you can launch paper boats on the river and even reenact The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Odense river is truly the most memorable place to do this. Should you get wet feet, don\u2019t panic, this is why the towel comes in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odense is Definitely Worth a Visit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes Odense so special is the city\u2019s openness. Odense spreads out from its rather small historic centre with lots of parks, squares and green areas. Even in the city centre, most of the buildings are at most 4-5 storeys high and you\u2019ll find lots of recreational space in the parks with large old trees and huge lawns. The harbour area is also worth a visit as well as the river boats that can take you all the way south on the river to Fruens B\u00f8ge and back, as a boat trip through a lovely park ends at the Zoo in Odense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously there has to be a museum for \u2013 well I\u2019m sure you know who. A lot of Danes will say no, no, NO! don\u2019t start talking about Hans Christian Andersen, AGAIN! They forget what an important figure he is and how well he actually advertises Denmark simply by being who he was and by telling his rather understated fairytales, stories and fables. We Danes should be proud of our fellow Dane who might very well be the best known Dane in the entire world. That of course is also the reason why the two Odense museums to Hans Christian Andersen have so many visitors all year round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hans Christian Andersen\u2019s House<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A brand new museum for Hans Christian Andersen opened in 2021. The building of the new museum has been funded by donations from various associations and funds such as the A.P. M\u00f8ller Foundation and the Augustinus Foundation. As well as the Odense Municipality. The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma won the competition and the building of the museum has changed the face of Odense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quite interestingly almost 70% of the visitors in the museum are tourists from abroad which underlines how popular Hans Christian Andersen is around the world and how well known his fairytales are. Our guides in Odense know from their tours in the foot prints of Hans Christian Andersen <\/a> how many of the fairytales their foreign guests know, compared to similar Danish groups. It is slightly embarrassing, maybe even a disgrace that we Danes know so few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supplementing the new museum you also have the option of visiting the humble, small and cosy museum Hans Christian Andersen\u2019s Childhood Home. Explore and see for yourself where he grew up and lived until he went to Copenhagen all by himself at the age of 14. You can see where his father worked at his shoemaker\u2019s table and his shoemaker\u2019s tools. This is where the little boy Hans Christian fell in love with books. Some of the students from the local comprehensive school, called the Latin school, left their books on the table while his father mended their shoes. The little boy developed a strong wish to possess books of his own like the more well off boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odense Tops the Hygge Scale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many factors contribute to Odense\u2019s hygge scale. The open, airy city, charm and historic houses. You find the openness in the vast number of recreational areas around Odense. One of them is the central Munke Mose Park in the city centre just south of the Odense river. In Munke Mose you\u2019ll find huge lawns, green playing areas for grownups and children alike and it is also from here the river boats depart on a daily basis in the summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ved du for \u00f8vrigt, hvorfor parken hedder Munke Mose? Det var s\u00e5m\u00e6nd det, den var, munkenes mose. Odense er nemlig en by, der op gennem middelalderen havde et v\u00e6ld af klostre – munkeklostre og et enkelt nonnekloster ogs\u00e5. Omr\u00e5det, hvor Munke Mose i dag ligger, var et sumpet omr\u00e5de lige udenfor byen. I dag er det sv\u00e6rt at forestille sig, fordi det nu er en central del af byens liv med caf\u00e9, iskiosk og \u00e5en, der l\u00f8ber hele vejen ud til Fruens B\u00f8ge med Odense Zoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Relaxing Stroll<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you go for a walk along the river in the opposite direction from Munke Mose towards the centre of Odense you will pass through more beautiful recreational areas in Odense. The Hans Christian Andersen Park, the Hans Christian Andersen Garden, which the locals simply call Eventyrhaven which means the Fairytale Park. The park has wonderful flowerbeds with nice benches in all the strategicly good spots for you to simply sit down, relax and enjoy the ambience, colours, scents, people and all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a close look on the lawn in Eventyrhaven. Do you see the flat slaps with inscriptions? Unfortunately they are a reminder of a sad story. They are put down on spots where Danes were accidentally killed by the resistance movement on the day the Wehrmacht\u2019s capitulated on May 5th 1945. These were lives that should not have been lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odense Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Right here you also find Odense Domkirke, the cathedral named after Saint Knud, Saint Canute. In here you\u2019ll find one of Denmark\u2019s most beautiful alter pieces, originally carved for the Franciscan Greyfriars Church, Gr\u00e5br\u00f8dre Klosterkirke, which no longer exists. When the Greyfriars Church was demolished, the alter piece was moved to Vor Frue Kirke, the Church of Our Lady also in Odense and some years later it was once again moved, this time to the cathedral. You might wonder who carved the alter piece. It was the renowned German woodcarver Claus Berg from L\u00fcbeck, who was a leading artist of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Odense
Odense Cathedral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The medieval Danish Queen Christine requested that the German woodcarver from L\u00fcbeck come to Odense as she ordered an altarpiece. Consequently he arrived, accompanied by 12 of his craftsmen to make the altarpiece. It shows the Passion with added portraits of the royal family such as queen Christine\u2019s husband King Hans and their son who was later on to be crowned King Christian II. If you want to show your children the church, make them study all the different figures on the altarpiece. They are all individualized and not two figures or faces are alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And briefly back to\u2026Hans Christian Andersen. He took his Lutheran confirmation in the cathedral in Odense, from which also his father was buried only a few years prior to his confirmation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odense has Some Silly Place Names<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lige overfor domkirken ligger Odense R\u00e5dhus. P\u00e5 pladsen foran r\u00e5dhuset er der to store, meget forskellige skulpturer. Den ene er Svend Wiig Hansens Oceania, en hyldest til kvinden. Det tror jeg nu ikke, de mange b\u00f8rn, der bruge hende til ruchebane, t\u00e6nker over. Den anden er af Robert Jakobsen og har f\u00e5et navnet “Flakhaven”. Det er ogs\u00e5 er navnet p\u00e5 det omr\u00e5de, hvor skulpturen er placeret. Hvis du vil vide, hvad Flakhaven betyder, s\u00e5 skal du unde dig selv at g\u00e5 en tur i Odense<\/a> i selskab med en lokal guide, der kan forklare dig mange af de underlige gadenavne, der er rundt omkring i byen. Flakhaven er blot et af dem. Hvad med Magel\u00f8s, Pogestr\u00e6de, Overgade, Holsedore og Paaskestr\u00e6de, der bestemt ikke har noget med P\u00e5ske at g\u00f8re.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odense's New Centre<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now go to the other side of the town hall and take a close look at a completely new neighborhood in Odense. Only a few years ago this was a very busy road leading towards the Odense Harbour. The politicians and citizens of Odense have spent years discussing whether to replace traffic with a tram. Finally a decision was made and the building and construction processes are now well on their way. The tram is set to start operation 2021. The construction process has resulted in many new solutions to local congestion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A city will never stay the same but it is a common thing that major new developments will meet opposition by various groups and Odense is no exception. A lot of citizens of Odense have voiced their opposition when it comes to the changes planned for the new neighbourhood around the upcoming new Hans Christian Andersen Museum.
\n
\nOne of the buildings that you will also find here is the brand new concert hall Odeon, built for all kinds of concerts, for popular as well as classic orchestras and for the music conservatory. Just across the street you also have the concert hall that is home to the Odense Symphony Orchestra. If you love classical music, you might know the close connection the Odense Symphony Orchestra has to music by probably the most famous of Danish composers, Carl Nielsen and with the Carl Nielsen competitions for young musicians who compete in instruments such as flute, violin and clarinet. It used to be an annual competition, but not anymore. As part of the prize, the winner gets to perform a solo concert with the orchestra during the following season. All competitions focus on one of the three main instruments for which Carl Nielsen has composed so much wonderful music and they all play his music of course.
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\nCarl Nielsen was born just outside Odense and as a young man he spent some years in Odense. There is a small museum for Carl Nielsen and his wife Anne Marie Carl Nielsen right next to the foyer for the symphony orchestra. In a few years a new museum will replace it though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe the Carl Nielsen Museum is more attractive to adults than children but you could make up for this by showing your children the fairytale sculptures and afterwards go and have an icecream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now it is time for you to visit Odense, right in the heart of Denmark \u2013 a city that has a lot of treasures, not least an atmosphere that allows you to lower your shoulders and simply just be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am happy to say visit Odense with Guide Service Denmark and our guide service Odense<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos<\/strong>
Paaskestr\u00e6de in Odense. Photo: VisitOdense<\/a>
Odense Cathedral. Photo: VisitOdense<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

N\u00e5r snakken falder p\u00e5 Odense, betyder det meget hvor du kommer fra. Er du fynbo og kender byen eller bor du i Odense og kender byen godt. Bor du et helt andet sted i Danmark og er du p\u00e5 ferie i Odense, eller er du udenlandsk turist p\u00e5 sightseeing, fordi du er p\u00e5 bes\u00f8g i Danmark og skal n\u00e5 at opleve hele det lille eventyrland p\u00e5 f\u00e5 dage. Den tid, du har til r\u00e5dighed og din forh\u00e5ndsviden om byen, er…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[26],"class_list":["post-1109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dejlige-danmark-category"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede.jpg",480,320,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede.jpg",480,320,false],"large":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede.jpg",480,320,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede.jpg",480,320,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede.jpg",480,320,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede-18x12.jpg",18,12,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede-405x270.jpg",405,270,true],"nisarg-full-width":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede.jpg",480,320,false],"sow-carousel-default":["https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Odense-Paaskestraede-272x182.jpg",272,182,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Mette Berrig","author_link":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/author\/mette\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"N\u00e5r snakken falder p\u00e5 Odense, betyder det meget hvor du kommer fra. Er du fynbo og kender byen eller bor du i Odense og kender byen godt. Bor du et helt andet sted i Danmark og er du p\u00e5 ferie i Odense, eller er du udenlandsk turist p\u00e5 sightseeing, fordi du er p\u00e5 bes\u00f8g i…","authors":[{"term_id":26,"user_id":3,"is_guest":0,"slug":"mette","display_name":"Mette Berrig","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b9743c52b1a8ea372b1e32e225dfe681615d24aed033f50b4942fd4abed6b1a4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1109"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7016,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1109\/revisions\/7016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1109"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideservice.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}