First impressions

A weekend in Odense.

Photographs: Heather Storgaard / Pexels

Text: Heather Storgaard

Seven years after first exploring Denmark’s two largest cities, I recently realised I’d stopped at that: Odense had been left sadly neglected and unexplored. This shocked me slightly, as a city of fairy tales would usually be high on my list in any country. But Odense’s location on Fyn, that middle-ground between Copenhagen and Jutland, meant I’d done no more than change trains in the city. So, with a weekend free in May, we set off to get to know Fyn.

Culinary

I arrived in Odense late on Friday night, heading straight to the First Hotel Grand. I didn’t expect too much, but the hotel was possibly the most classic, casually elegant stay I have ever experienced in Denmark. Odense offers far better value than Copenhagen, so a weekend in quiet comfort didn’t drain the bank account. Starting the weekend with a drink, the hotel bar was beautiful, serving up delicious cocktails with Danish ingredients. I took the recommendation of Danish drinks writer Bo Nygaard Larsen and ordered a sour made with Stauning whisky from Jutland. Around the corner, Nu also served up funky cocktails inspired by flavours from near and far.

After a comfortable sleep and a fabulous breakfast buffet, including the local speciality, Brunsviger, we got up to meet one of my husband’s cousins, who grew up in the city. She took us to Bar Unika, where a courtyard bathed in sunlight quickly filled with friends meeting for brunch. We spent much of the morning wandering from one coffee shop to another, enjoying the abundant green spaces in Odense. In comparison to Aarhus, where forests flank the city on either side but aren’t integrated into the centre, Odense felt like a very green city. Parks are central, and waterways flow freely, populated by sculptures and more fairytale-themed delights.

A few years ago, lower prices in Aarhus led to a range of fabulous openings in the city, with a bustling food scene developing the kind of offerings previously only available in Copenhagen. However, as Jutland’s largest city struggles with a lack of housing and rising costs, I hope cities like Odense and Aalborg will also become incubators for experimental, high-quality cuisine. For a truly gourmet experience, Odense’s main attraction currently lies just outside the city: ARO is a contemporary craft restaurant located in an old factory. Fyn’s first Michelin-starred restaurant is pushing boundaries regarding what you can expect from Fyn.

"Odense offers far better value than Copenhagen, so a weekend in quiet comfort didn’t drain the bank account."

Hans Christian Andersen

The city’s most famous and celebrated son, H.C. Andersen, is everywhere in Odense. His red footsteps serve as a guide for visitors, leading them through the city’s cobbled streets. They showcase his place of birth and childhood home, as well as the sleek, impressive new museum that explores his fairy tales. The multi-level gardens combine architecture with the natural world, bringing something from a modern myth to life. Walking above the treeline, it’s easy to imagine magic. Inside, the museum is an obvious must, and Café deilig a beautiful lunch stop too.

Ironically, the famous fairy tale writer was not known to have held much fondness for his hometown. He left Odense at the age of fourteen, drawn to the literary world of Copenhagen and beyond – his travels took him to England, where he visited Charles Dickens, and further afield to Spain and Morocco. While his fairy tales were Danish, the wider world was also a great source of inspiration.

Kerteminde

I’m cheating, really, providing an additional town when I said I’d write a weekend guide to Odense, but Kerteminde is less than half an hour from Fyn’s capital. To internationals, I hope that counts as nearby. Kerteminde is a quintessential Danish seaside town, and it’s well worth a stop. Seafood options are abundant – from the down-to-earth, harbour-side Boris Fisk to up-market Restaurant Rudolf Mathis.

In terms of activities, the Johannes Larsen Museum is undoubtedly the highlight. Larsen was one of the Fynboerne, or Funen Painters, of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a loose group of artists who abandoned traditional styles in favour of a focus on Naturalism and Realism. His villa by the sea is now a fabulous, lively space celebrating his work, as well as that of his wife Alhed and their contemporaries. Birds are a central theme, and ducks, geese and hens busy themselves in the courtyard and gardens of the immaculately kept galleries. My husband’s grandfather was Johannes’ cousin, so a visit to the museum had been high on our list for years. I’m sure it’s beautiful anytime, but family had strongly advised us to wait for the magic of a sunny, late spring day to see the place at its very best, which was exactly what we did.