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In the mirror, I appear to be wearing huge gilded pantaloons, visible just for my eyes. Kids relax in a water feature acting as mermaids, while nearby rests a speaking vegetable in a display case, beside a tall stack of mattresses. This is the world of H.C. Andersen (1805-1875), one of the nineteenth-century's highly cherished storytellers. I find myself in the city of Odense, on the island of Funen in the south of the Danish kingdom, to investigate Andersen’s lasting influence in his native city 150 years after his passing, and to find a handful of enchanted tales of my own.

The Exhibition: HC Andersens Hus

Andersen's House is the city’s museum celebrating the storyteller, featuring his childhood house. A museum representative notes that in past designs of the museum there was minimal emphasis on Andersen’s stories. His personal history was explored, but The Ugly Duckling were absent. For guests who visit Odense looking for narrative enchantment, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redesign of downtown Odense, redirecting a major road, created the chance to reimagine how the renowned native could be commemorated. A major architecture competition granted the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the commission, with the museum's fresh perspective at the core of the design. The remarkable timber-clad museum with interwoven curving spaces opened to much acclaim in 2021. “Our goal was to create a space where we don’t talk about the author, but we speak in the manner of him: with comedy, irony and outlook,” says the representative. The outdoor spaces embrace this concept: “This is a landscape for wanderers and for colossal creatures, it's planned to create a feeling of diminutiveness,” he explains, an objective realized by thoughtful gardening, experimenting with elevation, proportion and numerous twisting trails in a surprisingly compact space.

Andersen's Impact

He authored multiple autobiographies and frequently contradicted himself. The museum takes this approach to heart; typically the perspectives of his companions or excerpts of letters are displayed to gently question the writer's personal account of incidents. “The author is the storyteller, but his account isn't always accurate,” explains the curator. The effect is a engaging swift exploration of the author's biography and work, thought processes and favorite tales. This is stimulating and whimsical, for grown-ups and kids, with a extra underground imaginary world, the fictional village, for the children.

Exploring Odense

Returning to the real world, the modest urban center of Odense is charming, with historic pathways and old wooden houses painted in vibrant hues. The author's presence is everywhere: the street signals feature the author with his signature formal headwear, metal shoe prints offer a complimentary pedestrian route, and there’s a art walk too. Annually in August this focus reaches its height with the annual storytelling event, which honors the author’s legacy through creativity, performance, stage shows and melodies.

During my visit, the week-long event had hundreds of events, many were free. While visiting the city, I encounter colorful performers on stilts, ghoulish monsters and an writer impersonator telling stories. I hear feminist spoken-word pieces and observe an amazing late-night performance including athletic artists coming down from the municipal structure and dangling from a mechanical arm. Future activities during the season are presentations, hands-on activities and, expanding the storytelling legacy past the author, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

Every excellent fairytale destinations deserve a fortress, and the island boasts numerous historic homes and manor houses across the island

Cycling and Exploration

Like most of Denmark, bikes are the perfect means to travel around in Odense and a “bike path” curves through the urban core. From the local hotel, I ride to the complimentary harbour-side swimming pool, then into the countryside for a circuit around the nearby islet, a compact territory joined by a bridge to the mainland. Local inhabitants relax with food here in the evening, or take pleasure in a tranquil moment catching fish, water sports or taking a dip.

In the city, I eat at Restaurant Under Lindetræet, where the food selection is derived from the writer's motifs and tales. The literary work the national ode appears during my meal, and manager Nils Palmqvist recites passages, presented in English, as he introduces the meal. This is a practice frequent in my days in the city, the island inhabitants appreciate narratives and it appears storytelling is continuously available here.

Manor House Visits

All good magical places deserve a palace, and the island boasts 123 castles and manor houses across the island. Taking day trips from Odense, I visit the historic fortress, the region's best-preserved historic fortress. While much of it are available for tours, Egeskov is also the private residence of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his partner, the royal resident. I contemplate if she can feel a small legume through a stack of {mattresses