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Reflected back at me, I can see myself in oversized gilded pantaloons, seen exclusively in my view. Kids sit in a stone basin acting as sea nymphs, meanwhile in the next room rests a speaking vegetable in a exhibition box, alongside a imposing pile of cushions. It represents the domain of the beloved author (1805-1875), among the 1800s widely adored storytellers. I’m in Odense, located on the island of Fyn in the south of Denmark, to investigate the author's lasting influence in his birthplace many decades after his death, and to discover a handful of fairytales of my own.

The Exhibition: The Andersen Museum

HC Andersens Hus is the local cultural center celebrating the storyteller, featuring his first home. An expert notes that in earlier iterations of the museum there was minimal emphasis on Andersen’s stories. The writer’s life was studied, but Thumbelina were nowhere to be found. For tourists who visit this place in search of storytelling magic, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redesign of the city center, diverting a primary street, provided the opportunity to reimagine how the local celebrity could be honored. A prestigious architectural challenge awarded the Japanese company the Kengo Kuma team the project, with the curators’ new approach at the heart of the structure. The unique wood-paneled museum with connected spiralling spaces launched to much acclaim in 2021. “We’ve tried to design an environment where we avoid discussing the author, but we talk like the storyteller: with humour, sarcasm and viewpoint,” explains the expert. The outdoor spaces embrace this concept: “It’s a garden for wanderers and for large beings, it’s designed to create a feeling of diminutiveness,” he says, an objective realized by strategic landscaping, playing with verticality, size and numerous twisting trails in a unexpectedly limited space.

Andersen's Impact

He authored several personal accounts and frequently changed his story. The exhibition takes this approach to heart; frequently the views of his acquaintances or snippets of correspondence are shown to gently question the writer's personal account of happenings. “Andersen is the narrator, but he’s not reliable,” says the expert. The result is a fascinating whirlwind tour of the author's biography and art, mental approaches and favorite narratives. It’s thought-provoking and fun, for grown-ups and kids, with a extra underground make-believe land, the pretend town, for the smallest guests.

Visiting the Town

Back in the actual city, the compact town of this Danish city is charming, with historic pathways and old wooden houses painted in bright colours. The Andersen legacy is all around: the road indicators feature the storyteller with his iconic formal headwear, metal shoe prints provide a no-cost Andersen walking tour, and there’s a sculpture trail too. Every August this dedication reaches its height with the regular HC Andersen festival, which marks the author’s legacy through art, dance, drama and musical performances.

During my visit, the seven-day festival had hundreds of events, the majority were without charge. While visiting Odense, I meet artistic acrobats, ghoulish monsters and an author double narrating adventures. I experience empowering poetry and observe an incredible nocturnal display including graceful performers lowering from the city building and suspended from a mechanical arm. Future activities in the coming months are lectures, family art workshops and, extending the narrative tradition past the author, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

Every excellent fairytale destinations require a fortress, and this region boasts 123 castles and manor houses across the island

Cycling and Exploration

Like other Danish regions, bicycles are the ideal method to travel around in this town and a “bike path” winds through the city centre. Departing from Hotel Odeon, I cycle to the complimentary port-side aquatic facility, then into the countryside for a circuit around the nearby islet, a small island linked by a road to the larger island. Local inhabitants have outdoor meals here in the evening, or enjoy a peaceful time catching fish, water sports or taking a dip.

Back in the city, I eat at a local eatery, where the culinary offerings is inspired by the writer's motifs and narratives. The poem the patriotic piece appears when I visit, and owner Nils Palmqvist recites passages, translated into English, as he serves every dish. Such encounters commonplace in my visit, the fynbo love a yarn and it feels as though narrating is continuously offered here.

Castle Explorations

Every excellent enchanted locations require a palace, and the island boasts numerous historic homes and estates across the island. Going on excursions from the city, I tour the historic fortress, Europe’s most intact Renaissance water castle. Although large sections are open to visitors, the castle is also the family home of the noble family and his spouse, the princess. I contemplate if she would notice a pea through a stack of {mattresses