The native town of Hans Christian Andersen, Odense is placed in the middle of Denmark on an island named Funen and is one of the oldest towns in Denmark. During the Viking age the town had a Viking fortress and royal castle. The town has always been an important part of Denmark, a place where Kings have held councils and courts, mainly before the 1300's.

Before Christianity the area was a sacrificial place for a God named Odin. The first church was grounded in the year 1000 and in 1086 King Knud was murdered by rebellious farmers in the church Sct. Albani, where he seeked refuge. Later he was sanctified and a church was built and named Sct. Knuds Kirke.

In 1860 when Hans Christian Andersen lived in the town, there were over 14,000 citizens living in Odense and at the time it was the biggest town in Denmark after Copenhagen. During this time there were many industries operating here, but today a lot of these industries have finished working, some of the buildings that were used by these industries are now used for other things. Brandts Klædefabrik (Fabric-industry) in the center of the town is now a culture center with museums, cafes and exciting shops.

Besides the Hans Christian Andersen and Carl Nielsen Museums, there are many other Museums in Odense. Such as the Danish Railway Museum which gives you the opportunity to experience the history of the railways. During the summer months you can take a boat on the river, this journey takes you from the town centre to Odense Zoo. You can also get the chance to see the small forest of Fruens Bøge, and Den Fynske Landsby, an old fashioned village. Odense is well known for green parks and a lot of smaller houses as apposed to the apartments that are popular elsewhere. In the summer the Hans Christian Andersen parade takes place in the garden of Lotze behind the house where Hans Christian Andersen lived. If you would like to find out more about Hans Christian Andersen, Festspillene plays an open air theatre in Den Fynske Landsby. Funen is well known for being the Garden of Denmark and every Wednesday and Saturday there are market days at Sortebrødre Market which is close to the Hans Christian Andersen house. The market takes place in front of the concert building.

Today Odense is an important educational city with over 185,000 citizens. To obtain more information on this historic town please visit the Website www.visitodense.com