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Reflected back at me, I seem to have on enormous shimmering pantaloons, seen exclusively in my view. Kids play in a stone basin imitating mermaids, while adjacent resides a talking pea in a showcase, next to a tall pile of mattresses. It embodies the universe of H.C. Andersen (1805-1875), one of the 1800s most beloved writers. I'm visiting the city of Odense, on the island of Fyn in the southern part of this Nordic country, to explore Andersen’s lasting influence in his home town a century and a half after his demise, and to find a few enchanted tales of my own.

The Museum: The Andersen Museum

Andersen's House is the city’s museum honoring the writer, incorporating his first home. A curator explains that in previous versions of the museum there was scant attention on his fairytales. Andersen's biography was explored, but Thumbelina were missing. For visitors who come to Odense looking for narrative enchantment, it was a little lacking.

The renovation of Odense city centre, diverting a primary street, created the chance to reimagine how the renowned native could be honored. A major architecture competition gave Japanese firm the renowned designers the commission, with the museum's fresh perspective at the core of the layout. The distinctive wooden museum with interlinked spiral spaces launched to significant attention in 2021. “We have attempted to design an environment where we don’t talk about the writer, but we speak in the manner of him: with wit, sarcasm and outlook,” explains the expert. The landscape design embrace this concept: “This is a landscape for explorers and for large beings, it’s designed to give you a sense of smallness,” he explains, a goal realized by clever planting, playing with verticality, scale and multiple meandering routes in a deceptively small space.

Andersen's Impact

Andersen wrote two and a half autobiographies and regularly provided conflicting accounts. HC Andersens Hus adopts this philosophy to heart; often the perspectives of his acquaintances or snippets of written messages are displayed to gently question the author’s own version of incidents. “The author is the storyteller, but he’s not reliable,” explains the expert. The outcome is a compelling whirlwind tour of his personal story and creations, thinking patterns and best-loved stories. This is thought-provoking and fun, for mature visitors and kids, with a additional underground fantasy realm, the pretend town, for the children.

Visiting the Town

In the actual city, the compact town of Odense is picturesque, with stone-paved roads and old wooden houses colored in cheerful shades. The author's presence is everywhere: the traffic lights feature the author with his signature characteristic hat, bronze footmarks give a complimentary Andersen walking tour, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Every August this dedication reaches its height with the annual storytelling event, which celebrates the author’s legacy through visual arts, movement, stage shows and music.

This year, the multi-day celebration had 500 shows, the majority were free. As I explore the city, I meet artistic acrobats, fantastical beings and an writer impersonator telling stories. I experience feminist spoken-word pieces and observe an remarkable late-night performance with graceful performers coming down from the town hall and dangling from a crane. Future activities during the season are lectures, creative sessions for all ages and, extending the storytelling legacy further than the writer, the city’s annual Magic Days festival.

Every excellent fairytale destinations need a palace, and the island contains over a hundred manors and stately homes around the area

Cycling and Exploration

Similar to much of the country, cycles are the perfect means to get about in Odense and a “cycling highway” winds through the urban core. Starting at Hotel Odeon, I ride to the free harbour-side swimming pool, then beyond the city for a route around Stige Island, a compact territory joined by a bridge to the mainland. Local inhabitants have outdoor meals here after work, or appreciate a peaceful time angling, aquatic activities or swimming.

Back in town, I dine at the themed restaurant, where the food selection is inspired by the writer's motifs and tales. The literary work the national ode is featured during my meal, and manager Nils Palmqvist reads extracts, rendered in English, as he presents each course. Such encounters frequent in my time in Odense, the island inhabitants appreciate narratives and it feels as though narrating is constantly on the menu here.

Castle Explorations

All good enchanted locations need a fortress, and Fyn boasts over a hundred manors and manor houses around the area. Taking day trips from the city, I explore Egeskov Palace, the region's best-preserved Renaissance water castle. While much of it are open to visitors, the castle is also the private residence of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his wife, the royal resident. I ponder if she might sense a pea through a pile of {mattresses