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In the mirror, I appear to be wearing huge gilded pantaloons, perceptible only to me. Kids play in a water feature imitating sea nymphs, and nearby sits a chatting legume in a display case, beside a imposing stack of mattresses. This is the universe of H.C. Andersen (1805-1875), among the 19th century’s widely adored authors. I’m in the city of Odense, situated in the island of Fyn in the southern part of the Danish kingdom, to explore the writer's enduring legacy in his native city a century and a half after his demise, and to experience a few fairytales of my own.

The Exhibition: HC Andersens Hus

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the city’s cultural center honoring the storyteller, incorporating his first home. A curator states that in earlier iterations of the museum there was minimal emphasis on the author's tales. His personal history was explored, but Thumbelina were absent. For visitors who come to the city looking for fairytale wonder, it was not quite enough.

The renovation of Odense city centre, rerouting a primary street, created the chance to reconsider how the city’s most famous son could be commemorated. A major architecture competition gave the architects from Japan the renowned designers the contract, with the museum's fresh perspective at the heart of the design. The unique timber-clad museum with connected spiralling spaces debuted to great fanfare in 2021. “We’ve tried to create a space where we avoid discussing the author, but we communicate similarly to him: with comedy, satire and perspective,” notes the expert. Even the gardens embrace this concept: “The outdoor area for explorers and for colossal creatures, it's created to create a feeling of diminutiveness,” he notes, an objective achieved by thoughtful gardening, manipulating verticality, scale and numerous twisting trails in a surprisingly compact space.

Andersen's Impact

Andersen wrote two and a half autobiographies and regularly provided conflicting accounts. HC Andersens Hus takes this approach to heart; typically the views of his companions or excerpts of written messages are shown to politely doubt the writer's personal account of incidents. “The author is the guide, but he’s not reliable,” says the representative. The effect is a fascinating rapid journey of his personal story and work, thinking patterns and favorite tales. It is provocative and playful, for adults and youngsters, with a additional underground imaginary world, the pretend town, for the youngest visitors.

Visiting the Town

Back in the real world, the small city of this Danish city is delightful, with historic pathways and old wooden houses colored in cheerful shades. The writer's influence is all around: the street signals display the writer with his distinctive formal headwear, bronze footmarks give a no-cost guided stroll, and there’s a art walk too. Each summer this commitment peaks with the annual HC Andersen festival, which honors the his influence through art, dance, stage shows and melodies.

Recently, the week-long celebration had hundreds of events, many were without charge. During my time in Odense, I meet painted stilt-walkers, fantastical beings and an author double narrating adventures. I experience empowering poetry and see an incredible evening show featuring acrobatic dancers coming down from the town hall and suspended from a construction equipment. Upcoming events in the coming months are presentations, family art workshops and, broadening the narrative tradition past the author, the city’s yearly Magic Days festival.

All good enchanted locations require a fortress, and this region boasts numerous historic homes and manor houses around the area

Cycling and Exploration

Like most of Denmark, bikes are the best way to get about in the city and a “bicycle route” winds through the city centre. Departing from my accommodation, I cycle to the free port-side aquatic facility, then beyond the city for a route around Stige Island, a small island connected by causeway to the mainland. City residents relax with food here in the evening, or take pleasure in a quiet hour angling, water sports or taking a dip.

Returning to the city, I dine at a local eatery, where the culinary offerings is inspired by the writer's motifs and stories. The poem Denmark, My Native Land is highlighted at the restaurant, and proprietor the host recites passages, translated into English, as he serves every dish. Such encounters repeated often in my days in the city, the island inhabitants appreciate narratives and it feels as though narrating is always available here.

Manor House Visits

All good magical places require a castle, and this region boasts over a hundred manors and estates around the area. Going on excursions from the city, I visit Egeskov Palace, Europe’s most intact moated palace. Although large sections are open to visitors, Egeskov is also the personal dwelling of the aristocratic owners and his partner, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I ponder if she might sense a small legume through a pile of {mattresses