Christened "the garden of Denmark" by locally-born Hans Christian Andersen for the lawn-like neatness of its fields and the abundance of produce harvested from them, Funen (Fyn) is the smaller of the two main Danish islands, and one which is attracting more and more visitors; many are drawn by the mythology of Andersen himself, while others come to enjoy the island's bucolic feel and gorgeous coastline. Unlike Zealand and Jutland, attractions here are mainly low-profile, consisting of a myriad remote castles and manor houses – 124 to be precise – many of which maintain tree-lined avenues, landscaped gardens and fertile agricultural fields that are often as enjoyable to visit as the buildings themselves. Towns and villages are also small-scale, their thatched, half-timbered buildings fronted by hollyhocks and orchards. Funen has a well-developed bus network (though less in the way of trains) that facilitates access to most of the major sites, plus a few of the minor ones, though given their diminutive size, "mainland" Funen and its southern archipelago are best explored by bicycle, with well-marked paths that circumnavigate much of the coastline and pass through the major urban areas, all of which are detailed in cycling maps available from local tourist offices.

Arriving from Zealand across the massive Storebælt bridge, the isolated Hindsholm Peninsula has several good beaches, while nearby Odense is Denmark's third-largest city and an obvious base if you'd like to explore villages by day but want some urban zip by night. Indeed, Funen is small enough (and Odense central enough) that you could hole up here for a few days and easily venture out during the day to see the rest of the island. South of here, past the dazzling Egeskov castle, coastal Funen is dominated by two towns: maritime Svendborg is the top scenic draw, with its good beaches, great restaurants and handful of interesting museums, while further west is the more rustic Fåborg, with its pretty pastel-painted houses and superb art museum. The fragmented archipelago of pretty islands off Funen's south coast is summer vacation territory for many Danes. The largest, Tåsinge and Langeland, are both accessible via road bridge and offer plenty of opportunities for walking and swimming, as well as a couple of grand old buildings. The smaller Ærø holds a delectably preserved medieval town and a slew of atmospheric inns and hotels, while the tiny spits of land that make up the rest of the archipelago are beautifully unspoilt and preserve a uniquely remote charm that's best appreciated on foot or by bike.