Odense is situated on the island of Funen, right in the heart of Denmark, and is the country’s third largest city with 200,000 inhabitants. The city is one of Denmark’s oldest, granted town rights in the year 988, and was originally named Odins Vé, as a place of worship for the Nordic god Odin. It was once the site of a Viking ring fortress on the banks of the Odense River. Due to this rich history, it has for centuries been a favourite destination for visitors. Today, it is first and foremost known as the hometown of the celebrated author Hans Christian Andersen.
This inspiring city invites guests to wander – or cycle – its cobblestone streets with its many shops and rows of cafés. Odense is easy to reach, easy to navigate, and easy to feel at home in. Everything is within comfortable walking and cycling distance, creating an intimate atmosphere. The city of Odense has a strong vision for its continuous growth and welfare, encouraging big dreams and challenging the norms, for example through festivals, congresses and other events of international scale.
Odense is a centre of innovation, knowledge and education, where strong clusters in the fields of robotics, drones, health technology and IT are booming. In Odense there is a unique and very strong collaboration between the city of Odense, the University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital. This collaboration is a main factor behind the city’s status as one of the centers of knowledge and education in Denmark. Within the next few years, the strong profile of Odense as a city of education and science will be confirmed and enhanced even further through the establishment of a brand new university hospital next to the University of Southern Denmark and a new science park.