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Odense Flower Festival

The Beautiful, the Artificial, the Wild

Some of the important ideals in the first half of the 19th century, during H.C. Andersen's time, were tied to the notions of "The Good, the True, and the Beautiful!" Andersen was clearly inspired by Romanticism, but he also saw the dark and the shadows.

A number of Andersen's famous fairy tales (such as The Nightingale, The Swineherd, and The Ugly Duckling) depict precisely the contrasts between the genuine and the artificial, between inner wealth and the superficial, the true versus the apparent. This is the foundation for this year's theme.

Odense Flower Festival is one of Odense's most beautiful traditions. Every year, the city centre is decorated with thousands of flowers and plants from local nurseries and growers - and every year there is a new theme, such as Nordic mythology, China's cultural treasures, the fairytale garden and many more.

Over the years, this has resulted in metre-high fairytale figures, "fire-breathing" dragons, lots of animals and teddy bears, but also inspiration for things you can recreate in your own garden - all made from flowers and plants.

During the festival, there are smaller events such as orchid lectures, the opportunity to ask questions to professionals about your gardening challenges, music, fun and more. It's completely free to visit the festival and on their website you'll find all the information you need when visiting Odense during the Flower Festival.

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