The Women Who Shaped Odense

The Women Who Shaped Odense

Behind Odense’s streets and quiet courtyards lie the stories of women who shaped the city for more than a thousand years - from queens and nuns to workers, teachers, and activists whose lives left lasting traces in the places we pass today.

On this walking tour, we follow in their footsteps through the city, moving from the Viking Age and the medieval monasteries to the struggles for education, independence, and political influence in the 19th century. Along the way, Odense’s history unfolds through the lives of women who challenged expectations, built institutions, and helped define everyday life.

We visit sites connected to figures such as the nuns of Nonnebakken, who ran both a hospital and a school in a time when few women had access to knowledge or authority. We also meet women like Queen Christine, Frida Schmidt, and Marie Riising Rasmussen - alongside others whose stories are less well known, but no less important.

Some were respected and influential. Others were controversial, outspoken, or ahead of their time. Together, their stories reveal a richer and more complex history of the city.

This tour offers a vivid and engaging perspective on women’s lives in Odense across the centuries - and on how their actions, choices, and struggles helped shape the city we know today.

Join us for a guided walk through Odense, where history is told through the lives of the women who lived it.

Practical information: This tour can also be arranged as a stroller-friendly walking tour. For stroller tours, the maximum capacity is seven strollers.