Otterup: Gun Factory, Church Art and Trails

In Otterup, local history, church art, and outdoor trails offer distinct focal points for planning your trip. The history of the gun factory, historic furnishings in the church, and routes through forests and countryside give the town its varied character. Consider in advance whether you would like to focus mainly on cultural sites or set aside time for a longer route.

Getting here and historical insights

Bus route 200A connects Otterup with Odense; the journey takes about 20 minutes. If you plan to use this service, check the timetable again before setting out.

The HistorieCenter Otterup offers guided tours and talks about the history and production of Schultz & Larsen, the Otterup Geværfabrik, and A/S Dansk Ammunitionsfabrik. It is located in the old gun factory, on the first floor in the rooms where assembly used to take place. The Otterup Geværfabrik was founded in 1889 by marksman Hans Schultz. Everyone visiting its halls needs an admission ticket, regardless of age.

The Otterup Museum also conveys history through historic rooms, stories about people and crafts, and accounts of everyday life in Otterup in the past. It also features a unique Viking dwelling where the Otterup Viking lived. Galgedil, a Viking burial ground from the 9th century where Vikings buried their dead, lay west of Otterup.

Church, art, and local history

Otterup Kirke was originally built in 1150 and expanded during the Middle Ages. The old walls were demolished to make way for the rebuilding of a larger church. Its furnishings include a Romanesque baptismal font of the mid-Funen type, richly decorated with foliate ornamentation. The richly carved wooden pulpit and its sounding board date from 1616 and bear the coats of arms of Johan Nielsen Friis and his wife Karen Krabbe. The different dates connect the church's building history with later examples of craftsmanship.

The sculpture Midgårdsormen stands in the market square in the center of Otterup. It depicts Thor fighting a serpent. Its nine humps symbolize the nine parishes that together formed the former Municipality of Otterup. The artwork thus refers both to Norse mythology and to an earlier municipal structure. Frelserens Hospital was inaugurated on 11 October 1722.

Trails for walking, running, or cycling

You can walk, run, or cycle along all four signposted Kløver routes in Otterup. They are marked with signs and a small cloverleaf. The Kærlighedsstien offers a different kind of historical trail: this walking path follows a former beet railway between the old railway station and the former estate of Nislevgaard.

In Otterup Byskov, a two-kilometer path leads through the forest and around the bog, beneath tall beech trees. The Glavendrup route is 30 kilometers long, passes through Otterup, and then returns to Otterup. By comparison, the path in Byskov is the shorter of the two routes. The Hasmark route passes through the landscapes of northern Funen, along Odense Fjord, past Hasmark Strand and the Kattegat coast, and back to Otterup on old roads. These routes therefore differ both in their course and in the landscapes they traverse.

Birdlife at Otterup Andedam

At Otterup Andedam, you can observe black swans, ducks, and other feathered residents. The enclosures are also home to silkies, peacocks, and various pheasants. The pond combines opportunities to observe wild birds with a look at other bird species. Together with the forest trails and routes through the landscapes of northern Funen, it offers a distinct focus for travelers who enjoy spending time outdoors in Otterup.

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For the main travel overview: Nordfyns.