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In the mirror, I appear to be wearing enormous gilded pantaloons, visible just for my eyes. Youngsters relax in a water feature acting as mermaids, and adjacent rests a chatting legume in a showcase, alongside a towering pile of cushions. This is the universe of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), one of the nineteenth-century's most beloved writers. I’m in the city of Odense, situated in the island of Fyn in the south of this Nordic country, to explore the writer's enduring legacy in his birthplace a century and a half after his death, and to experience a couple of fairytales of my own.

The Exhibition: HC Andersens Hus

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the town's cultural center honoring the storyteller, featuring his first home. A curator states that in past designs of the museum there was little focus on the author's tales. Andersen's biography was examined, but Thumbelina were absent. For tourists who travel to the city looking for storytelling magic, it was a little lacking.

The redesign of the city center, rerouting a primary street, created the chance to reconsider how the local celebrity could be honored. A major architecture competition awarded the architects from Japan the renowned designers the commission, with the curators’ new approach at the center of the structure. The distinctive wood-paneled museum with interwoven spiral spaces opened to great fanfare in 2021. “We’ve tried to build a place where we don’t talk about Andersen, but we speak in the manner of Andersen: with wit, sarcasm and outlook,” explains the expert. Even the gardens take this approach: “This is a landscape for strollers and for colossal creatures, it’s designed to give you a sense of smallness,” he explains, an objective accomplished by strategic landscaping, playing with verticality, scale and numerous twisting trails in a unexpectedly limited space.

Andersen's Impact

He authored two and a half personal accounts and regularly changed his story. The museum takes this approach to heart; frequently the opinions of his acquaintances or snippets of letters are shown to politely doubt the author’s own version of incidents. “Andersen is the narrator, but he's untrustworthy,” explains the curator. The effect is a engaging rapid journey of his personal story and creations, mental approaches and favorite narratives. This is provocative and fun, for grown-ups and children, with a extra basement fantasy realm, Ville Vau, for the youngest visitors.

Exploring Odense

Back in the real world, the small city of Odense is picturesque, with stone-paved roads and traditional Danish homes finished in bright colours. The author's presence is all around: the road indicators display the storyteller with his signature top hat, brass footprints offer a free pedestrian route, and there’s a sculpture trail too. Each summer this dedication culminates with the yearly Andersen celebration, which celebrates the his influence through art, movement, drama and musical performances.

During my visit, the seven-day celebration had hundreds of events, most of which were free. As I explore the city, I come across painted stilt-walkers, spooky creatures and an author double sharing tales. I hear contemporary performances and witness an incredible nocturnal display including acrobatic dancers descending from the municipal structure and suspended from a construction equipment. Still to come during the season are talks, creative sessions for all ages and, extending the storytelling legacy further than the writer, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

All good enchanted locations require a castle, and Fyn boasts numerous historic homes and stately homes around the area

Biking Adventures

Similar to most of Denmark, bikes are the best way to navigate in Odense and a “cycling highway” winds through the downtown area. Departing from the local hotel, I pedal to the complimentary waterside bathing area, then into the countryside for a circuit around Stige Island, a compact territory linked by a road to the mainland. City residents relax with food here in the evening, or enjoy a peaceful time catching fish, water sports or bathing.

Back in town, I dine at the themed restaurant, where the culinary offerings is based on the writer's motifs and tales. The literary work Denmark, My Native Land appears during my meal, and proprietor Nils Palmqvist recites passages, translated into English, as he introduces the meal. It’s an experience frequent in my visit, the fynbo love a yarn and it appears narrating is always offered here.

Castle Explorations

Each wonderful enchanted locations deserve a castle, and Fyn contains over a hundred manors and manor houses throughout the region. Going on excursions from town, I explore Egeskov Castle, the region's finely maintained Renaissance water castle. While much of it are available for tours, the castle is also the family home of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his spouse, the royal resident. I wonder if she might sense a small legume through a stack of {mattresses