I've been reading the stories of Hans Christian Andersen to my kids, and would
like to know if his hometown of Odense is worth a visit? We are planning to
visit Copenhagen, but don't want to trek to Odense unless there is enough to
see there. Michael Stone, London
Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Odense (pronounced
own-suh) is a terrific little city of 150,000 people it's the main
settlement on the Danish island of Funen, and well worth a visit. It is a
tad twee, but it is a relaxed welcoming place, with a cobble-streeted centre
that's eminently walkable, and you won't have any trouble tracking down Hans
Christian Andersen's former haunts, and certainly not his statues, which are
liberally plonked around.
From the outside, his childhood home looks much the same as when he was born
here in 1805, and although his family probably lived in just one room, the
current house-museum is made up of five cottages and a smart new museum to
his life behind. It's called the Hans
Christian Andersen Hus (adults £6.40, children free).
More fun for younger kids, and right next door, is the great little Frytoejet,
or Tinderbox (entry £7.50 for adults and children), where everyone gets loan
of a small suitcase on entry, with dressing up kit, colouring pens and the
like, ready to interact with fairytale goings-on in the studio theatre,
storytelling room, and music area.
There's also a neat railway museum
(adults £6.40, children £2.50) behind the current train station, with plenty
of bells and whistles, and some great old royal carriages.
There aren't any flights from the UK to Odense, but it's an easy 75-minute train
ride from Copenhagen, or a two-hour drive. Alternatively you can take
your own car to Esbjerg and then it's 90 minutes from there.
Cross from Harwich with DFDS Seaways
(0871 522 9955).
With your own car, you can explore the rest of Funen taking in the suitable
fairy tale style castle at Egeskov
(entry £18.60 for adults, £8.80 for children), the wooden boats in
Svendborg's harbour and the terrific new building there which houses the
Naturama natural history museum
(adults £9.50; children free).
For more information, see www.visitodense.com
