🔗 Share this article

Reflected back at me, I appear to be wearing huge golden pantaloons, perceptible exclusively in my view. Children sit in a stone basin acting as ocean creatures, meanwhile in the next room resides a speaking vegetable in a showcase, next to a tall stack of bedding. It embodies the universe of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), among the 1800s most beloved writers. I find myself in Odense, located on the island of Fyn in the southern region of this Nordic country, to explore the author's lasting influence in his birthplace 150 years after his demise, and to find a couple of magical stories of my own.

The Exhibition: HC Andersens Hus

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the town's museum dedicated to the writer, featuring his first home. A museum representative states that in earlier iterations of the museum there was minimal emphasis on Andersen’s stories. The writer’s life was examined, but The Little Mermaid were nowhere to be found. For visitors who travel to Odense in search of fairytale wonder, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redevelopment of downtown Odense, diverting a main thoroughfare, created the chance to rethink how the local celebrity could be honored. An international design contest granted the architects from Japan the renowned designers the project, with the museum's fresh perspective at the center of the layout. The distinctive wood-paneled museum with interwoven spiralling spaces opened to significant attention in 2021. “We have attempted to build a place where we don’t talk about the writer, but we talk like Andersen: with wit, satire and viewpoint,” explains the representative. The landscape design follow this philosophy: “The outdoor area for strollers and for giants, it's planned to give you a sense of smallness,” he says, a goal accomplished by strategic landscaping, experimenting with verticality, size and many winding paths in a deceptively small space.

Andersen's Impact

Andersen wrote multiple autobiographies and often contradicted himself. HC Andersens Hus embraces this concept fully; frequently the views of his companions or fragments of correspondence are displayed to subtly challenge the writer's personal account of happenings. “The writer is the guide, but his account isn't always accurate,” says the expert. The result is a compelling rapid journey of the author's biography and creations, thought processes and favorite tales. It is stimulating and whimsical, for grown-ups and kids, with a extra basement make-believe land, the pretend town, for the children.

Exploring Odense

In the real world, the compact town of Odense is delightful, with cobbled streets and historic timber buildings painted in cheerful shades. The author's presence is all around: the road indicators display the author with his distinctive formal headwear, brass footprints provide a free Andersen walking tour, and there’s a sculpture trail too. Each summer this dedication reaches its height with the annual storytelling event, which marks the author’s legacy through visual arts, dance, stage shows and melodies.

Recently, the multi-day festival had 500 shows, many were without charge. While visiting this place, I come across painted stilt-walkers, spooky creatures and an writer impersonator narrating adventures. I experience empowering poetry and witness an remarkable nocturnal display including graceful performers coming down from the town hall and suspended from a crane. Upcoming events during the season are presentations, creative sessions for all ages and, extending the narrative tradition further than the writer, the city’s annual wonder event.

All good magical places need a castle, and this region features numerous historic homes and estates around the area

Cycling and Exploration

Similar to most of Denmark, cycles are the best way to get about in this town and a “cycling highway” meanders through the urban core. From my accommodation, I cycle to the complimentary port-side aquatic facility, then into the countryside for a loop around the nearby islet, a small island connected by causeway to the primary land. Local inhabitants relax with food here following their day, or take pleasure in a quiet hour angling, aquatic activities or bathing.

Back in the city, I eat at a local eatery, where the food selection is inspired by the writer's motifs and stories. The poem the patriotic piece appears during my meal, and owner the host shares excerpts, translated into English, as he serves every dish. Such encounters commonplace in my days in the city, the island inhabitants love a yarn and it feels as though sharing tales is continuously on the menu here.

Castle Explorations

All good fairytale destinations need a fortress, and the island contains over a hundred manors and manor houses around the area. Traveling briefly from Odense, I tour the historic fortress, the region's best-preserved historic fortress. Although large sections are accessible to the public, this historic site is also the private residence of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his wife, the princess. I contemplate if she can feel a tiny vegetable through a stack of {mattresses