Bolbro Vartegn – Odinstårnet Reborn

A new landmark on an old hill

Bolbro Vartegn stands on Bolbro Bakke in western Odense, close to where the original Odinstårnet once dominated the city’s skyline. The contemporary tower is far smaller than its predecessor, but its distinctive steel frame clearly echoes the outline of the former giant. Set beside busy Middelfartvej, it rises from a grassy knoll as a surprising vertical accent above a largely low-rise residential district. Here, the tower works less as an observation point and more as a sculptural landmark. Its simple, geometric lines give it a graphic profile from a distance, while up close you notice the lattice of girders and the way light passes through the structure. In the evening, subtle illumination lends it a gentle glow, turning it into a beacon for the surrounding neighborhood.

Remembering the Odinstårnet legend

The story behind Bolbro Vartegn reaches back to 1935, when the 177-metre Odinstårnet opened on this hill and quickly became a symbol of Odense and of Funen as a whole. With viewing platforms and a restaurant high above the city, it drew visitors from across Denmark, eager to experience the sweeping panorama from one of Europe’s tallest towers of its time. In December 1944, during the German occupation, saboteurs demolished Odinstårnet with explosives, leaving only the massive concrete foundations embedded in the hill. For decades, the city lived with the memory of a vanished landmark and a bare summit where the structure had once stood. The modern Bolbro Vartegn links directly to that narrative, giving physical shape to a story that would otherwise exist only in photographs and archives.

Details to notice as you walk around

As you circle the base, look at how the slender steel elements rise and taper, hinting at the soaring form of the original tower without attempting to replicate its scale. The structure is open to the sky, so clouds and changing weather become part of the composition, constantly altering the way the tower feels. On a clear day you may catch the sun glinting off the metal; on overcast afternoons it has a more subdued, almost introspective character. Small interpretive elements nearby typically outline the history in concise form, making it easy to connect what you see with the site’s past. The modest size encourages you to slow down, take a few photographs from different angles and imagine how immense the Odinstårnet must have seemed on this same ridge.

A brief but atmospheric stop in Bolbro

Bolbro Vartegn is best experienced as a short pause within a wider exploration of western Odense. The setting is thoroughly urban: passing traffic on Middelfartvej, nearby housing blocks and local shops all form part of the backdrop. Yet the slightly elevated position and open lawn around the tower create a pocket of space where you can step away from the pavement and look back at the city’s layers of history. Because there is no interior to visit, most people spend only a limited time here, enough for a reflective break, a few photos and perhaps a quiet moment on a nearby bench. It works well for families, couples and solo wanderers alike, and makes an easy addition to a walking or cycling route through Bolbro and the surrounding sports and residential areas.

Symbol of resilience and local pride

Beyond its visual appeal, Bolbro Vartegn carries a strong symbolic meaning. It stands for the resilience of a city that lost a defining structure in wartime and later chose to honor that loss with a new, accessible landmark. The reconstructed outline pays homage without nostalgia, acknowledging the trauma of destruction while celebrating continuity. For locals, the tower helps anchor Bolbro’s identity within Odense, signaling the district’s history and its role in the wider story of the city. For visitors, it offers a compact window into that story: a place where a simple steel form, a modest hill and a few lines of history come together to evoke one of Denmark’s great vanished monuments.