Town Life - Middelfart and other Fyn, Denmark Things to Do Tips

Middelfart, seen here from the new Lillebaelt Bridge, is either the first or last town in Funen, depending on what side you approach it from. For my purposes it seemed a perfect place to stay - what I thought might be a fairly typical, medium sized Danish town. It's actually famous in a small way for its annual 'Rock Under the Bridge' concert and for being the town with two bridges. The central shopping streets are pedestrianised, with many pretty half-timbered houses. Shopping here, strolling round the harbour and visiting the local churches was all very pleasant. There are several museums in Middelfart, most unusual being 'The Psychiatric Museum' .I didn't get to visiting that last on, but given the nature of my quest, maybe I should have. On Saturday mornings there are many market stalls and a band playing on the bandstand. We stayed at a feriecentre about 2kms outside the town and I found the walk in and out a very good opportunity to observe houses and gardens and all those million and one little things you never see from a car.

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Address: Middelfart
Website: www.middelfartturist.dk

The villages in Funen are legendary and describing them without lapsing into cliche is difficult. Let's just say that they are as pretty and as picturesque as you are likely to see anywhere in Europe.
This photo shows one of the houses in the village of Holse, near Ejby. Holse is a very ancient village, a scattering of woodbeamed houses on tiny roads winding in and out of fields of market garden produce. This village was very close to Middelfart but whatever direction you take, once you get out into the country, there are villages everywhere.

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Address: Holse, Ejby.
Website: www.middelfartturist.dk

A small white church seen in the distance, surrounded by wheat fields. This is one of my most enduring memories of Funen. These churches are whitewashed with red slate roofs set amongst old grave stones and flowers. This one, near Assens, was not open when I took the picture, so unfortunately I did not get to see the interior. I think all the churches on Funen are square towered, except for one or maybe two round ones.

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Address: Near Assens

In Funen the countryside is never far away. We visited in late August and the fields were burnt gold and edged with sunflowers. We were lucky with the weather and the combination of those golden fields, deep blue skies and furled clouds was amazing. So many guide books had described Funen as 'Bucolic' we were really anxious to see some cows.They did not disappoint and I am now more convinced then ever of the excellence of Danish dairy products.

The photo shows my husband getting up close and personal with a source of Danish butter!

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Odense is Denmark's third largest city and the Capital of Funen. There are so many detailed pages already on VT about Odense that I will only say, that yes it is a vibrant and visually stunning city and that yes, thewalk round Hans Christian Andersens house is like walking into the pages of one of his fairy tales. However, a very important practical fact about Odense and one which I have not seen mentioned on VT so far, is that the shops close at 2.00pm on Saturday afternoon, so if you are planning on some retail therapy, get there earlier. I could also pass on the tip that parking is free for much of Saturday afternoon but now that we know the reason why, perhaps not.

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The Fyn Kunst Museum, Odense's Municipal Art gallery, was open on Saturday afternoon and if you are particularly interested in Danish Art then it's worth a visit. It features Danish paintings from the 18th century onwards, also sculpture and some contemporary work.I must admit though that I found it a little disappointing, as many of the Funen artists whose work I'd hoped to see, were not represented. As galleries go, I thought it was a little subdued and low key but it is a very handsome neo-classical building and there were lovely views of Odense from the upstairs windows.

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Address: Jernbanegade 13

Though not as well known as its more famous counterpart, joining Copenhagen to Malmo, The Storebaelt Bridge between Funen and Zeeland is just as exciting to drive over. Longer than the 10 mile Oresund Bridge, the toll here is also slightly more expensive. On both bridges it is possible to pay by credit card.

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