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In the mirror, I seem to have on enormous golden pantaloons, visible only to me. Youngsters relax in a stone basin imitating ocean creatures, and in the next room rests a talking pea in a exhibition box, beside a towering stack of cushions. It represents the domain of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), among the 19th century’s widely adored storytellers. I’m in Odense, situated in the island of Fyn in the south of this Nordic country, to explore the author's lasting influence in his native city a century and a half after his passing, and to find a few fairytales of my own.

The Cultural Center: H.C. Andersen's House

Andersen's House is the city’s museum honoring the storyteller, featuring his original residence. A museum representative explains that in past designs of the museum there was little focus on his fairytales. Andersen's biography was examined, but The Ugly Duckling were absent. For guests who travel to Odense in search of storytelling magic, it was not quite enough.

The redesign of downtown Odense, redirecting a main thoroughfare, made it possible to reimagine how the city’s most famous son could be commemorated. A major architecture competition granted the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the project, with the curators’ new approach at the heart of the structure. The remarkable wooden museum with interlinked curving spaces debuted to great fanfare in 2021. “Our goal was to build a place where we move beyond simply describing the writer, but we speak in the manner of the storyteller: with comedy, sarcasm and outlook,” explains the expert. The outdoor spaces follow this philosophy: “The outdoor area for explorers and for colossal creatures, it's created to make you feel small,” he explains, a goal realized by strategic landscaping, experimenting with verticality, proportion and multiple meandering routes in a unexpectedly limited space.

Andersen's Impact

The author penned multiple autobiographies and frequently changed his story. The museum adopts this philosophy to heart; frequently the views of his acquaintances or fragments of letters are shown to politely doubt the author’s own version of incidents. “The writer is the storyteller, but he's untrustworthy,” explains the representative. The outcome is a engaging swift exploration of Andersen’s life and creations, mental approaches and most popular stories. This is provocative and playful, for mature visitors and children, with a extra lower-level imaginary world, the fictional village, for the youngest visitors.

Discovering the City

Returning to the real world, the small city of Odense is delightful, with historic pathways and traditional Danish homes finished in cheerful shades. The Andersen legacy is ubiquitous: the road indicators feature the storyteller with his signature formal headwear, brass footprints provide a free Andersen walking tour, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Every August this focus reaches its height with the regular HC Andersen festival, which celebrates the his influence through creativity, dance, stage shows and musical performances.

This year, the multi-day event had numerous performances, many were without charge. During my time in the city, I encounter painted stilt-walkers, fantastical beings and an author double telling stories. I hear feminist spoken-word pieces and observe an incredible late-night performance including acrobatic dancers lowering from the city building and suspended from a construction equipment. Upcoming events in the coming months are presentations, creative sessions for all ages and, expanding the oral history beyond Andersen, the city’s yearly Magic Days festival.

All good magical places need a palace, and Fyn contains numerous historic homes and manor houses around the area

Pedaling Through History

Like other Danish regions, cycles are the ideal method to navigate in this town and a “bicycle route” meanders through the urban core. Departing from the local hotel, I ride to the complimentary port-side aquatic facility, then into the countryside for a circuit around Stige Island, a compact territory connected by causeway to the mainland. Local inhabitants have outdoor meals here after work, or appreciate a tranquil moment fishing, water sports or taking a dip.

Back in town, I eat at the themed restaurant, where the menu is based on the writer's motifs and tales. The verse the patriotic piece appears when I visit, and manager Nils Palmqvist shares excerpts, presented in English, as he serves every dish. This is a practice frequent in my time in Odense, the fynbo enjoy storytelling and it appears narrating is always on the menu here.

Historic Estate Tours

Each wonderful enchanted locations need a palace, and Fyn boasts over a hundred manors and estates throughout the region. Traveling briefly from Odense, I visit Egeskov Palace, the continent's finely maintained Renaissance water castle. While much of it are accessible to the public, Egeskov is also the family home of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his wife, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I contemplate if she might sense a tiny vegetable through a stack of {mattresses