🔗 Share this article

Reflected back at me, I can see myself in oversized golden pantaloons, visible only to me. Youngsters play in a stone basin imitating mermaids, and nearby resides a talking pea in a display case, next to a imposing stack of bedding. This is the universe of H.C. Andersen (1805-1875), one of the 1800s most beloved writers. I’m in this Danish town, situated in Funen in the southern part of Denmark, to investigate Andersen’s timeless impact in his home town many decades after his passing, and to find a couple of enchanted tales of my own.

The Museum: HC Andersens Hus

Andersen's House is the town's museum honoring the storyteller, including his first home. A museum representative states that in past designs of the museum there was scant attention on the author's tales. Andersen's biography was studied, but Thumbelina were nowhere to be found. For guests who travel to this place in search of narrative enchantment, it was somewhat disappointing.

The renovation of downtown Odense, rerouting a main thoroughfare, created the chance to reconsider how the city’s most famous son could be commemorated. An international design contest awarded the architects from Japan the Kengo Kuma team the commission, with the curators’ new approach at the heart of the layout. The remarkable wood-paneled museum with interlinked spiralling spaces launched to much acclaim in 2021. “We’ve tried to create a space where we move beyond simply describing the writer, but we talk like him: with wit, sarcasm and viewpoint,” explains the curator. The outdoor spaces take this approach: “This is a landscape for wanderers and for colossal creatures, it’s designed to make you feel small,” he explains, a goal realized by thoughtful gardening, playing with verticality, scale and numerous twisting trails in a deceptively small space.

Andersen's Impact

Andersen wrote multiple autobiographies and frequently provided conflicting accounts. HC Andersens Hus embraces this concept fully; frequently the opinions of his friends or snippets of written messages are presented to gently question the his narrative of incidents. “Andersen is the narrator, but his account isn't always accurate,” notes the expert. The effect is a engaging rapid journey of Andersen’s life and creations, thinking patterns and favorite narratives. It is thought-provoking and whimsical, for mature visitors and children, with a bonus lower-level make-believe land, the pretend town, for the youngest visitors.

Discovering the City

Returning to the real world, the compact town of this Danish city is charming, with historic pathways and traditional Danish homes colored in bright colours. The writer's influence is everywhere: the road indicators display the storyteller with his signature top hat, bronze footmarks give a complimentary guided stroll, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Every August this dedication peaks with the annual HC Andersen festival, which marks the his influence through art, movement, drama and melodies.

Recently, the multi-day celebration had hundreds of events, the majority were complimentary. While visiting the city, I come across artistic acrobats, spooky creatures and an writer impersonator telling stories. I listen to feminist spoken-word pieces and see an incredible nocturnal display including acrobatic dancers coming down from the municipal structure and suspended from a construction equipment. Future activities this year are presentations, hands-on activities and, expanding the oral history further than the writer, the city’s yearly Magic Days festival.

Every excellent fairytale destinations deserve a fortress, and the island features numerous historic homes and manor houses around the area

Cycling and Exploration

Similar to most of Denmark, bicycles are the best way to navigate in this town and a “bike path” meanders through the urban core. Departing from my accommodation, I ride to the public port-side aquatic facility, then into the countryside for a circuit around Stige Ø, a tiny landmass connected by causeway to the larger island. Local inhabitants picnic here following their day, or take pleasure in a peaceful time fishing, water sports or taking a dip.

Back in town, I eat at the themed restaurant, where the food selection is derived from Andersen themes and narratives. The literary work the patriotic piece is featured when I visit, and owner the host shares excerpts, presented in English, as he serves every dish. This is a practice commonplace in my days in the city, the local residents love a yarn and it seems that narrating is continuously on the menu here.

Historic Estate Tours

Each wonderful fairytale destinations require a fortress, and this region contains over a hundred manors and manor houses across the island. Traveling briefly from Odense, I visit Egeskov Castle, the region's finely maintained Renaissance water castle. While much of it are open to visitors, Egeskov is also the personal dwelling of the noble family and his spouse, the princess. I ponder if she might sense a pea through a mound of {mattresses