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Looking at my reflection, I seem to have on enormous gilded pantaloons, seen exclusively in my view. Youngsters play in a stone basin imitating mermaids, and nearby rests a talking pea in a exhibition box, alongside a imposing stack of bedding. It represents the domain of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), one of the nineteenth-century's most beloved storytellers. I'm visiting the city of Odense, on the island of Funen in the south of this Nordic country, to discover the author's enduring legacy in his birthplace a century and a half after his passing, and to discover a couple of fairytales of my own.

The Exhibition: The Andersen Museum

Andersen's House is the town's museum dedicated to the author, including his original residence. A museum representative explains that in earlier iterations of the museum there was little focus on Andersen’s stories. Andersen's biography was explored, but Thumbelina were nowhere to be found. For visitors who travel to the city looking for storytelling magic, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redevelopment of downtown Odense, rerouting a major road, created the chance to rethink how the renowned native could be honored. A major architecture competition gave the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the commission, with the museum's fresh perspective at the core of the design. The distinctive wooden museum with interlinked curving spaces launched to great fanfare in 2021. “Our goal was to design an environment where we avoid discussing Andersen, but we speak in the manner of him: with humour, satire and perspective,” notes the expert. The outdoor spaces take this approach: “The outdoor area for explorers and for giants, it's planned to make you feel small,” he notes, an objective achieved by strategic landscaping, manipulating height, size and multiple meandering routes in a unexpectedly limited space.

Andersen's Impact

The author penned several memoirs and regularly provided conflicting accounts. The exhibition embraces this concept to heart; often the opinions of his companions or excerpts of correspondence are presented to politely doubt the author’s own version of incidents. “Andersen is the narrator, but he’s not reliable,” notes the representative. The outcome is a compelling rapid journey of Andersen’s life and art, mental approaches and favorite narratives. It is thought-provoking and fun, for mature visitors and youngsters, with a additional lower-level fantasy realm, the pretend town, for the youngest visitors.

Discovering the City

In the physical town, the small city of Odense is delightful, with cobbled streets and traditional Danish homes painted in bright colours. The author's presence is ubiquitous: the road indicators show the storyteller with his iconic top hat, brass footprints give a complimentary Andersen walking tour, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Annually in August this commitment peaks with the regular HC Andersen festival, which celebrates the writer's impact through art, performance, drama and music.

During my visit, the multi-day festival had 500 shows, most of which were without charge. As I explore this place, I encounter artistic acrobats, ghoulish monsters and an writer impersonator sharing tales. I experience contemporary performances and observe an incredible late-night performance with graceful performers lowering from the city building and suspended from a mechanical arm. Upcoming events during the season are presentations, family art workshops and, expanding the storytelling legacy further than the writer, the city’s annual Magic Days festival.

Every excellent fairytale destinations require a palace, and this region features 123 castles and manor houses throughout the region

Biking Adventures

Like much of the country, bikes are the perfect means to get about in this town and a “bicycle route” curves through the downtown area. Departing from the local hotel, I cycle to the free port-side aquatic facility, then into the countryside for a route around Stige Ø, a compact territory linked by a road to the primary land. Local inhabitants picnic here after work, or take pleasure in a peaceful time angling, paddleboarding or taking a dip.

Back in the city, I visit the themed restaurant, where the menu is based on the writer's motifs and tales. The poem Denmark, My Native Land appears when I visit, and owner the restaurateur recites passages, translated into English, as he introduces the meal. Such encounters commonplace in my visit, the island inhabitants love a yarn and it feels as though sharing tales is constantly offered here.

Castle Explorations

All good enchanted locations deserve a palace, and Fyn boasts 123 castles and estates around the area. Taking day trips from the city, I explore Egeskov Palace, the continent's best-preserved moated palace. Despite parts are open to visitors, this historic site is also the private residence of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his wife, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I ponder if she would notice a pea through a pile of {mattresses