🔗 Share this article

In the mirror, I appear to be wearing oversized golden pantaloons, visible just for my eyes. Kids play in a rock pool acting as ocean creatures, while adjacent resides a talking pea in a display case, beside a imposing mound of cushions. This is the universe of the beloved author (1805-1875), among the nineteenth-century's most beloved authors. I’m in this Danish town, located on Funen in the southern part of this Nordic country, to explore the author's timeless impact in his home town many decades after his passing, and to discover a couple of magical stories of my own.

The Museum: H.C. Andersen's House

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the town's cultural center celebrating the author, featuring his original residence. A museum representative explains that in past designs of the museum there was minimal emphasis on Andersen’s stories. His personal history was explored, but The Little Mermaid were absent. For guests who travel to this place in search of storytelling magic, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redesign of the city center, rerouting a main thoroughfare, made it possible to reconsider how the renowned native could be commemorated. A prestigious architectural challenge gave the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the project, with the museum's fresh perspective at the heart of the layout. The remarkable wooden museum with connected spiralling spaces opened to much acclaim in 2021. “Our goal was to build a place where we avoid discussing the writer, but we talk like him: with humour, satire and outlook,” notes the representative. The outdoor spaces follow this philosophy: “It’s a garden for explorers and for colossal creatures, it’s designed to give you a sense of smallness,” he says, an objective accomplished by strategic landscaping, experimenting with elevation, size and many winding paths in a deceptively small space.

The Author's Influence

Andersen wrote multiple autobiographies and regularly contradicted himself. The exhibition embraces this concept fully; typically the views of his acquaintances or snippets of written messages are shown to gently question the his narrative of events. “Andersen is the narrator, but his account isn't always accurate,” explains the representative. The result is a compelling whirlwind tour of the author's biography and creations, mental approaches and best-loved narratives. It’s stimulating and playful, for mature visitors and children, with a additional basement make-believe land, the fictional village, for the children.

Visiting the Town

Returning to the actual city, the modest urban center of this Danish city is picturesque, with historic pathways and traditional Danish homes finished in vibrant hues. The Andersen legacy is ubiquitous: the road indicators feature the author with his distinctive top hat, brass footprints offer a no-cost Andersen walking tour, and there’s a sculpture trail too. Every August this commitment reaches its height with the annual Andersen celebration, which celebrates the author’s legacy through creativity, movement, drama and music.

Recently, the week-long festival had numerous performances, many were free. During my time in this place, I meet colorful performers on stilts, ghoulish monsters and an writer impersonator sharing tales. I listen to feminist spoken-word pieces and witness an incredible late-night performance with acrobatic dancers descending from the town hall and suspended from a crane. Still to come this year are presentations, family art workshops and, expanding the storytelling legacy beyond Andersen, the city’s annual wonder event.

Each wonderful fairytale destinations need a castle, and this region boasts over a hundred manors and manor houses around the area

Biking Adventures

Similar to other Danish regions, cycles are the best way to get about in Odense and a “cycling highway” winds through the downtown area. From Hotel Odeon, I cycle to the free port-side aquatic facility, then beyond the city for a loop around Stige Ø, a compact territory connected by causeway to the larger island. Local inhabitants have outdoor meals here in the evening, or take pleasure in a quiet hour catching fish, paddleboarding or swimming.

In the city, I dine at Restaurant Under Lindetræet, where the food selection is based on the writer's motifs and tales. The poem the national ode appears at the restaurant, and manager the restaurateur recites passages, translated into English, as he introduces the meal. This is a practice repeated often in my visit, the island inhabitants enjoy storytelling and it appears sharing tales is continuously offered here.

Manor House Visits

Every excellent fairytale destinations require a fortress, and the island boasts over a hundred manors and estates across the island. Going on excursions from town, I visit the historic fortress, Europe’s best-preserved moated palace. While much of it are available for tours, this historic site is also the private residence of the noble family and his partner, the princess. I contemplate if she would notice a pea through a stack of {mattresses