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In the mirror, I can see myself in enormous golden pantaloons, seen only to me. Children relax in a rock pool pretending to be mermaids, while adjacent resides a chatting legume in a showcase, next to a tall mound of mattresses. This is the domain of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a leading nineteenth-century's highly cherished storytellers. I’m in this Danish town, situated in Fyn in the south of the Danish kingdom, to investigate the author's lasting influence in his birthplace a century and a half after his passing, and to discover a handful of enchanted tales of my own.

The Exhibition: The Andersen Museum

Andersen's House is the city’s cultural center celebrating the storyteller, featuring his childhood house. An expert notes that in previous versions of the museum there was little focus on his fairytales. His personal history was examined, but The Ugly Duckling were absent. For guests who come to Odense seeking storytelling magic, it was a little lacking.

The redevelopment of downtown Odense, redirecting a main thoroughfare, made it possible to rethink how the city’s most famous son could be commemorated. A major architecture competition gave Japanese firm the Kengo Kuma team the commission, with the museum's fresh perspective at the core of the layout. The remarkable wood-paneled museum with interwoven spiral spaces opened to significant attention in 2021. “We’ve tried to create a space where we don’t talk about the author, but we speak in the manner of him: with comedy, satire and outlook,” explains the representative. The landscape design take this approach: “The outdoor area for strollers and for colossal creatures, it's created to give you a sense of smallness,” he explains, an objective accomplished by strategic landscaping, experimenting with verticality, scale and many winding paths in a surprisingly compact space.

The Author's Influence

The author penned two and a half autobiographies and often contradicted himself. HC Andersens Hus takes this approach fully; typically the perspectives of his friends or fragments of letters are displayed to politely doubt the his narrative of happenings. “The writer is the storyteller, but he's untrustworthy,” notes the expert. The outcome is a fascinating whirlwind tour of the author's biography and work, mental approaches and most popular stories. It is provocative and playful, for grown-ups and children, with a additional lower-level fantasy realm, the fictional village, for the youngest visitors.

Exploring Odense

In the real world, the compact town of Odense is charming, with cobbled streets and historic timber buildings finished in bright colours. The author's presence is everywhere: the street signals display the storyteller with his signature formal headwear, bronze footmarks give a no-cost guided stroll, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Each summer this focus peaks with the yearly Andersen celebration, which celebrates the his influence through creativity, dance, theatre and musical performances.

During my visit, the multi-day event had hundreds of events, most of which were complimentary. While visiting the city, I come across artistic acrobats, spooky creatures and an writer impersonator sharing tales. I experience empowering poetry and observe an amazing nocturnal display with acrobatic dancers coming down from the city building and hanging from a mechanical arm. Still to come in the coming months are lectures, creative sessions for all ages and, expanding the oral history beyond Andersen, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

All good fairytale destinations need a fortress, and Fyn features numerous historic homes and estates across the island

Biking Adventures

Like most of Denmark, bicycles are the perfect means to travel around in this town and a “bike path” winds through the downtown area. From my accommodation, I ride to the complimentary waterside bathing area, then beyond the city for a loop around the nearby islet, a compact territory connected by causeway to the primary land. Town dwellers relax with food here following their day, or enjoy a peaceful time angling, aquatic activities or taking a dip.

In the city, I eat at the themed restaurant, where the menu is derived from author-inspired concepts and narratives. The literary work Denmark, My Native Land is highlighted when I visit, and manager the host reads extracts, rendered in English, as he presents each course. It’s an experience commonplace in my visit, the local residents appreciate narratives and it appears sharing tales is continuously available here.

Manor House Visits

Every excellent fairytale destinations deserve a fortress, and Fyn features over a hundred manors and manor houses across the island. Traveling briefly from Odense, I explore Egeskov Palace, the region's most intact Renaissance water castle. Despite parts are accessible to the public, this historic site is also the personal dwelling of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his spouse, the princess. I ponder if she would notice a pea through a pile of {mattresses