Odense

Odense is the major city on the Danish island of Funen (da.Fyn). As Denmark’s third-largest city, it provides visitors with an exciting bustling nightlife, gorgeous streetscapes, excellent retail choices, and a rich cultural legacy.

The Rosengrdcentret retail center is situated in Odense’s south-eastern outskirts. The center, which opened in 1971, is the second biggest in Denmark, with 100,000 m2 (1,100,000 sq ft) of floor area and more than 150 stores, restaurants, a cinema, and a fitness center. The city center has a large range of stores, particularly on Kongensgade and Vestergade, as well as nearby pedestrian streets.

Tourism is a significant source of revenue for the city. Odense Municipality was ranked seventh in Denmark for tourist revenue in 2008, with 1.6 million Danish kroner earned over the year. Odense Zoo was the most popular tourist attraction in Funen and the eighth most popular in Denmark in 2011, with 405,913 visits. The zoo, which was created in 1930, occupies an area of 3.6 hectares (8.9 acres) and houses over 2,000 animals from 147 different species. Odense Zoo opened a DKK 60 million “Oceanium” depicting South American animal life in 2001.

Brandts Passage, which has various restaurants, pubs, and cafés such as the Envy-Lounge, Australian Bar, Brandts Kladefabrik, and Cafe Biografen, is where the city’s nightlife comes to a head. Jazzhus Dexter, a jazz club, is located on the Vindegade. Franck A, Froggys, and Club Retro are a few more renowned nightlife establishments. The Cuckoos Nest bar and restaurant, the Brasserie Klitgaard, the Den Gamle Kro, set in a 17th-century half-timbered house, Kvgtorvet, run by leading chef Klavs Styrbk who serves fresh fish and meat dishes, which is now closed, and the Under Lindetraet in an 18th-century cottage opposite the Hans Christian Andersen house which serves Franco-Danish cuisine are among the restaurants. The Radisson SAS HC Andersen Hotel, the First Hotel Grand with its bistro bar, the 68-room Old English-style Clarion Collection Hotel Plaza, City Hotel, which is near to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, and the 140-room Danhostel Odense City are all noteworthy hotels.

Odense has a Köppen climatic zone Cfb, which means it has a moderate oceanic climate. Summers are mild, with average maximum temperatures topping 20 °C (68 °F), but winters are cold, with minimum temperatures falling barely below freezing. July and August are the warmest months on average, with highs of 21 °C (70 °F) and daily mean temperatures of 17 °C (63 °F) and 16 °C (61 °F), respectively. These are also the wettest months, with August getting an average of 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain and July averaging 64 mm (2.5 in).

Extratropical cyclones often pass through the area, bringing with them a lot of rain. January and February are the coldest months, with daily mean temperatures of 0 °C (32 °F) and lows of 2 °C (28 °F) and 3 °C (26 °F), respectively. Ice is prevalent in Odense Fjord between January and March, and icebreakers keep the entry free. The tidal range in the fjord fluctuates up to 0.6 metres (2 feet 0 inches), and winds from the west and northeast may increase the water level by up to 1.8 metres (5 feet 11 inches), while winds from the east and southwest can decrease it by up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in). Hans Christian Andersen Airport collects climate data for the city (ICAO: EKOD).

Odense is located on the island of Funen’s northeastern center. Odense is 45 kilometers (28 miles) north of Svendborg, 144 kilometers (89 miles) south of Aarhus, 167 kilometers (104 miles) southwest of Copenhagen, 136 kilometers (85 miles) east of Esbjerg, and 69 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of Kolding. Stige to the north, Seden,Bullerup, and Agedrup to the northeast, Blommenslyst to the west, Bellinge to the southwest, and Neder Holluf and Hjby to the south are Odense suburbs.

The Odense River runs through the city, to the south of the major commercial district. The Odense Fjord lies to the northeast of the city, while the Kerteminde Fjord is to the northeast, along the 165 road to Kerteminde. The fjord is reached by the narrow Gabets passage between Hals and Skoven, and it is linked to the Port of Odense via a canal. Bregnor, a tiny fishing community, located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) to the southeast of the passage. A controlling depth of 11 metres (36 feet) has been observed in the northern half of the channel between the fjord’s entrance and Lindo Terminal Quay. To the northeast of the port, the bight of Fyns Hoved turns south to create the entrance to Odense Fjord. The eastern side of the bight between Fyns Hoved and Skoven is uneven, with a beach and hills behind it, and the tiny, shallow Korshavn Bay, with the Korshavn Light nearby, lies to the south of the bight. Skoven is a barren, mountainous peninsula bordered to the east by Dalby Bay (Dalby Bugt).

The islands of Vigels and Torn are located in the southwestern portion of the Odense Fjord, with the latter linked to the mainland by a 300 metre (980 ft) bridge. Vigels, at 132 hectares, is the biggest island in the fjord and an important nesting area for migrating birds. It is part of the EUHabitat and Birds Directives’ Special Area of Conservation No. SPC 94, Odense Fjord, and has been subject to careful monitoring, with the goal of achieving at least “excellent” ecological state by 2015. The island is low-lying, with the highest point of sterhoved barely six metres above sea level. The northern section of the island has a 25-hectare forest, while the southern part has coastal meadows.

Odense is the most major industrial and commercial center in Funen, and the city’s central position in Denmark qualifies it as a national convention and congress center. Albani Brewery, ABB (Asea Brown Boveri), Kansas Workwear (clothing), Plus Pack (canning and containers), and electrical makers are among the businesses. There has been a broad shift away from industry and toward the service sector in recent years. By 2002, the service sector employed 51 percent of the workforce, while industry employed just 13 percent. Lind Wharf, Denmark’s biggest shipbuilding site, has been turned into Lind Industrial Park, which specializes in the manufacturing and storage of offshore industry components, attracting a range of new tenants. GASA is a huge horticultural center that produces fruit, vegetables, flowers, and plants to the majority of the nation as well as for export. Odense is the home of TV 2, Denmark’s primary commercial television station, which was founded in 1988.

At public libraries, there are free Wi-Fi hotspots and internet-connected computers for public use. It is possible that the machines will need to be reserved ahead of time. The central station also has an internet café. The same is true for most cafés that provide free internet access.