Odense is the third largest city in Denmark, with 145,554 inhabitants (Odense city January 1, 2004), and the capital of the island of Funen. It is the seat of both Odense Municipality and Funen County. The city lies close to Odense Fjord on the Odense River (Odense Å). It is a station on the railway route between Copenhagen and Jutland, the peninsular mainland. A canal dug from 1796 to 1806, 7.5 metre (25 ft.) deep, gives access to the town from the fjord. Accessibility to Odense was greatly increased when ferry service between the two main Danish islands, Zealand and Funen was replaced by the Great Belt Bridge (opened in 1997 for rail traffic, 1998 for road traffic). The bridge is the second longest suspension bridge in the world. Its construction greatly cut transportation time between Odense and the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
