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In the mirror, I appear to be wearing huge shimmering pantaloons, visible only to me. Kids sit in a stone basin pretending to be sea nymphs, and adjacent rests a chatting legume in a exhibition box, beside a imposing stack of mattresses. It embodies the world of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), one of the 19th century’s highly cherished storytellers. I find myself in the city of Odense, on the island of Funen in the south of the Danish kingdom, to investigate Andersen’s enduring legacy in his native city a century and a half after his death, and to experience a few fairytales of my own.

The Museum: H.C. Andersen's House

Andersen's House is the local museum dedicated to the writer, featuring his childhood house. A curator states that in previous versions of the museum there was minimal emphasis on Andersen’s stories. The writer’s life was examined, but The Ugly Duckling were absent. For guests who travel to the city looking for narrative enchantment, it was not quite enough.

The redesign of downtown Odense, rerouting a major road, provided the opportunity to reconsider how the city’s most famous son could be honored. A major architecture competition gave the architects from Japan the Kengo Kuma team the project, with the museum's fresh perspective at the center of the design. The unique wooden museum with interwoven spiralling spaces opened to great fanfare in 2021. “Our goal was to design an environment where we move beyond simply describing the writer, but we communicate similarly to the storyteller: with wit, irony and outlook,” explains the curator. The outdoor spaces take this approach: “It’s a garden for wanderers and for large beings, it's planned to give you a sense of smallness,” he says, a goal accomplished by strategic landscaping, experimenting with height, proportion and numerous twisting trails in a deceptively small space.

The Writer's Legacy

The author penned multiple personal accounts and regularly contradicted himself. The museum takes this approach seriously; often the opinions of his friends or excerpts of letters are displayed to subtly challenge the author’s own version of happenings. “The author is the narrator, but he’s not reliable,” says the expert. The effect is a fascinating whirlwind tour of the author's biography and work, thought processes and best-loved stories. It is thought-provoking and playful, for adults and youngsters, with a bonus lower-level fantasy realm, Ville Vau, for the children.

Exploring Odense

Back in the physical town, the compact town of the municipality is charming, with historic pathways and old wooden houses colored in bright colours. The Andersen legacy is all around: the street signals display the writer with his signature top hat, metal shoe prints provide a free pedestrian route, and there’s a sculpture trail too. Each summer this focus reaches its height with the regular Andersen celebration, which marks the writer's impact through visual arts, dance, theatre and music.

During my visit, the seven-day event had numerous performances, most of which were complimentary. During my time in the city, I meet painted stilt-walkers, spooky creatures and an Andersen lookalike narrating adventures. I listen to contemporary performances and see an incredible late-night performance including athletic artists coming down from the town hall and dangling from a mechanical arm. Still to come in the coming months are presentations, family art workshops and, expanding the narrative tradition further than the writer, the city’s annual Magic Days festival.

Every excellent fairytale destinations need a castle, and the island contains 123 castles and manor houses throughout the region

Biking Adventures

Similar to most of Denmark, bikes are the best way to get about in the city and a “bike path” curves through the city centre. Starting at Hotel Odeon, I ride to the free port-side aquatic facility, then into the countryside for a route around the nearby islet, a compact territory joined by a bridge to the primary land. City residents relax with food here in the evening, or appreciate a peaceful time fishing, paddleboarding or bathing.

In the city, I dine at Restaurant Under Lindetræet, where the menu is derived from author-inspired concepts and tales. The poem the national ode is highlighted during my meal, and owner the host recites passages, rendered in English, as he presents each course. It’s an experience commonplace in my visit, the fynbo enjoy storytelling and it seems that sharing tales is constantly offered here.

Castle Explorations

All good fairytale destinations need a fortress, and the island features 123 castles and estates across the island. Going on excursions from Odense, I explore Egeskov Castle, the continent's finely maintained historic fortress. While much of it are accessible to the public, the castle is also the personal dwelling of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his partner, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I contemplate if she can feel a small legume through a mound of {mattresses