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Looking at my reflection, I appear to be wearing enormous shimmering pantaloons, seen just for my eyes. Children relax in a stone basin acting as mermaids, while nearby rests a talking pea in a display case, beside a tall mound of bedding. It embodies the universe of the beloved author (1805-1875), among the nineteenth-century's widely adored storytellers. I'm visiting Odense, on the island of Funen in the south of the Danish kingdom, to discover the writer's timeless impact in his home town 150 years after his demise, and to find a few magical stories of my own.

The Exhibition: HC Andersens Hus

Andersen's House is the local cultural center celebrating the writer, incorporating his childhood house. A curator states that in earlier iterations of the museum there was little focus on his fairytales. Andersen's biography was studied, but The Little Mermaid were nowhere to be found. For tourists who travel to Odense seeking storytelling magic, it was a little lacking.

The redesign of downtown Odense, rerouting a primary street, provided the opportunity to rethink how the local celebrity could be commemorated. An international design contest awarded the Japanese company the Kengo Kuma team the contract, with the museum's fresh perspective at the core of the structure. The remarkable timber-clad museum with interwoven spiral spaces opened to great fanfare in 2021. “We’ve tried to design an environment where we move beyond simply describing Andersen, but we speak in the manner of him: with wit, satire and outlook,” says the expert. The outdoor spaces follow this philosophy: “This is a landscape for wanderers and for colossal creatures, it's created to make you feel small,” he notes, a challenge realized by thoughtful gardening, playing with verticality, scale and many winding paths in a deceptively small space.

The Author's Influence

He authored two and a half memoirs and often changed his story. The museum adopts this philosophy fully; frequently the opinions of his acquaintances or snippets of correspondence are displayed to politely doubt the writer's personal account of happenings. “The writer is the storyteller, but his account isn't always accurate,” says the representative. The result is a compelling whirlwind tour of the author's biography and work, thinking patterns and best-loved narratives. It’s stimulating and playful, for mature visitors and youngsters, with a extra lower-level make-believe land, Ville Vau, for the smallest guests.

Exploring Odense

In the physical town, the small city of this Danish city is charming, with historic pathways and historic timber buildings finished in cheerful shades. The Andersen legacy is all around: the street signals show the author with his signature top hat, brass footprints give a complimentary Andersen walking tour, and there’s a art walk too. Each summer this commitment peaks with the regular storytelling event, which marks the writer's impact through creativity, performance, theatre and melodies.

This year, the week-long festival had numerous performances, the majority were without charge. While visiting Odense, I encounter painted stilt-walkers, fantastical beings and an Andersen lookalike sharing tales. I experience contemporary performances and observe an incredible evening show with athletic artists descending from the town hall and suspended from a mechanical arm. Still to come during the season are talks, family art workshops and, extending the oral history past the author, the city’s regular Magic Days festival.

All good magical places deserve a fortress, and the island features numerous historic homes and manor houses across the island

Biking Adventures

Similar to other Danish regions, bikes are the ideal method to get about in the city and a “cycling highway” meanders through the city centre. From Hotel Odeon, I ride to the public waterside bathing area, then into the countryside for a circuit around Stige Ø, a small island linked by a road to the mainland. City residents relax with food here following their day, or take pleasure in a peaceful time fishing, paddleboarding or taking a dip.

In town, I dine at the themed restaurant, where the menu is based on Andersen themes and narratives. The poem the national ode appears when I visit, and manager the restaurateur reads extracts, presented in English, as he introduces the meal. It’s an experience frequent in my time in Odense, the fynbo appreciate narratives and it seems that storytelling is always available here.

Manor House Visits

All good enchanted locations need a castle, and Fyn contains over a hundred manors and stately homes across the island. Going on excursions from town, I visit the historic fortress, Europe’s finely maintained moated palace. Despite parts are accessible to the public, this historic site is also the private residence of the aristocratic owners and his wife, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I contemplate if she can feel a tiny vegetable through a stack of {mattresses