King's Garden

King's Garden is a public park in Odense located beside the palace with curving pathways and mature trees including copper beech, tulip, and magnolia varieties. The space spans several acres of open lawns and shaded areas beneath tall tree canopies.

The garden was designed in 1720 by Johan Cornelius Krieger as a baroque composition following French principles with a central axis and symmetrical arrangements. Over a century later, the rigid formal layout was replaced with an English garden style featuring organic curves and naturalistic plantings.

The garden holds two notable statues, including one depicting Hans Christian Andersen that was installed by Danish schoolchildren to honor a figure important to local identity. These monuments shape how people experience the space today and reflect what matters to the community.

The garden sits directly across from Odense train station and is bordered by Railroad Street and Eastern Stationsvej, making it easy to reach on foot. Its position near the city center means visitors can move freely between urban streets and green space.

The original design was completely abandoned and the strictly geometric garden layout was transformed into a loose, organic composition, representing a total reversal of design philosophy. This shift shows how ideas about beauty and garden design can change fundamentally over time.