Odense Odense Bulldogs professional ice hockey team, and the city also hosts the H.C. Andersen Marathon. Odense is served by Hans Christian Andersen Airport and Odense station, which lies on the line between Copenhagen and the Jutland peninsula. The name Odense is derived from "Odins Vé", meaning "Odin's sanctuary" as the area was known as a sanctuary for worshippers of the Nordic god, Odin. Odense is one of Denmark's oldest cities. Archaeological excavations in the vicinity show proof of settlement for over 4,000 years since at least the Stone Age. The earliest community was centred on the higher ground between the
Odense Municipality municipality. The highest point in the municipality is Dyred Banke ( above sea level). The municipality, a former "Provincial municipality" was re-created 1 April 1970 as Odense municipality as the result of a ("Municipal Reform") that merged a number of existing "Provincial"- "Parish"- and "Village"- municipalities: Allerup-Davinde, Allese-Næsbyhoved, Broby, Brændekilde, Bellinge, Dalum, Fraugde, Korup-Ubberud, Lumby, Odense, Paarup, Sanderum, Stenløse-Fangel, the "coalition-municipality" of Fjordager (which had been created in 1966 by merging Agedrup and Seden-Åsum municipalities), and Højby parish. Odense municipality was not merged with other municipalities by 1 January 2007 as the result of the nationwide "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform"