Discovering a Magical Realm of the famous storyteller's Birthplace in Denmark

Looking at my reflection, I can see myself in enormous gilded pantaloons, visible just for my eyes. Children sit in a stone basin imitating ocean creatures, and adjacent resides a speaking vegetable in a showcase, alongside a imposing stack of mattresses. It represents the domain of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a leading 1800s widely adored storytellers. I’m in this Danish town, on the island of Fyn in the southern part of the Danish kingdom, to discover the writer's timeless impact in his native city 150 years after his death, and to experience a few enchanted tales of my own.

The Cultural Center: HC Andersens Hus

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the city’s exhibition space celebrating the writer, including his original residence. An expert explains that in earlier iterations of the museum there was scant attention on the author's tales. His personal history was explored, but The Ugly Duckling were missing. For tourists who come to Odense in search of storytelling magic, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redevelopment of the city center, rerouting a primary street, created the chance to reconsider how the local celebrity could be commemorated. An international design contest granted the Japanese company the renowned designers the contract, with the curators’ new approach at the heart of the design. The distinctive wood-paneled museum with interlinked curving spaces debuted to significant attention in 2021. “Our goal was to build a place where we move beyond simply describing Andersen, but we speak in the manner of him: with humour, satire and outlook,” explains the curator. Even the gardens embrace this concept: “It’s a garden for strollers and for colossal creatures, it’s designed to give you a sense of smallness,” he says, a goal realized by thoughtful gardening, experimenting with elevation, size and multiple meandering routes in a unexpectedly limited space.

Andersen's Impact

Andersen wrote several autobiographies and regularly provided conflicting accounts. The exhibition takes this approach fully; often the perspectives of his friends or fragments of written messages are presented to politely doubt the his narrative of incidents. “The writer is the guide, but his account isn't always accurate,” explains the expert. The effect is a engaging rapid journey of the author's biography and work, thinking patterns and favorite narratives. This is stimulating and whimsical, for mature visitors and children, with a extra underground imaginary world, Ville Vau, for the youngest visitors.

Visiting the Town

In the real world, the small city of this Danish city is charming, with historic pathways and old wooden houses colored in bright colours. The writer's influence is everywhere: the traffic lights show the writer with his distinctive top hat, bronze footmarks give a no-cost guided stroll, and there’s a sculpture trail too. Every August this commitment peaks with the yearly storytelling event, which marks the his influence through visual arts, performance, stage shows and music.

Recently, the multi-day event had hundreds of events, most of which were without charge. During my time in Odense, I meet painted stilt-walkers, fantastical beings and an writer impersonator sharing tales. I experience feminist spoken-word pieces and witness an remarkable late-night performance featuring acrobatic dancers coming down from the town hall and suspended from a mechanical arm. Still to come in the coming months are talks, hands-on activities and, expanding the storytelling legacy past the author, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

All good magical places deserve a castle, and this region features over a hundred manors and estates throughout the region

Pedaling Through History

Similar to most of Denmark, bikes are the best way to get about in Odense and a “bike path” curves through the downtown area. Starting at Hotel Odeon, I cycle to the complimentary waterside bathing area, then out of town for a route around the nearby islet, a small island linked by a road to the larger island. Town dwellers picnic here in the evening, or take pleasure in a quiet hour angling, aquatic activities or taking a dip.

Returning to the city, I dine at a local eatery, where the food selection is inspired by the writer's motifs and narratives. The poem Denmark, My Native Land is featured at the restaurant, and proprietor Nils Palmqvist reads extracts, rendered in English, as he serves every dish. This is a practice repeated often in my days in the city, the local residents love a yarn and it feels as though sharing tales is always on the menu here.

Historic Estate Tours

All good fairytale destinations deserve a fortress, and Fyn boasts over a hundred manors and stately homes throughout the region. Taking day trips from the city, I explore Egeskov Castle, the continent's finely maintained Renaissance water castle. Despite parts are available for tours, this historic site is also the family home of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his spouse, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I contemplate if she can feel a pea through a pile of {mattresses