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In the mirror, I can see myself in huge golden pantaloons, visible only to me. Children relax in a rock pool acting as sea nymphs, and adjacent rests a chatting legume in a exhibition box, next to a towering stack of cushions. It embodies the domain of the beloved author (1805-1875), one of the nineteenth-century's most beloved storytellers. I find myself in the city of Odense, located on Fyn in the south of Denmark, to discover the writer's timeless impact in his home town a century and a half after his demise, and to experience a handful of magical stories of my own.

The Exhibition: H.C. Andersen's House

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the local museum honoring the storyteller, including his original residence. A curator states that in previous versions of the museum there was minimal emphasis on the author's tales. Andersen's biography was examined, but The Little Mermaid were nowhere to be found. For guests who travel to Odense in search of storytelling magic, it was a little lacking.

The redevelopment of the city center, rerouting a major road, made it possible to reimagine how the city’s most famous son could be celebrated. A major architecture competition awarded the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the commission, with the museum's fresh perspective at the center of the layout. The distinctive timber-clad museum with interwoven curving spaces launched to great fanfare in 2021. “Our goal was to design an environment where we move beyond simply describing the author, but we talk like the storyteller: with wit, sarcasm and viewpoint,” says the curator. Even the gardens embrace this concept: “It’s a garden for explorers and for giants, it’s designed to give you a sense of smallness,” he explains, a goal realized by clever planting, experimenting with height, proportion and many winding paths in a unexpectedly limited space.

The Author's Influence

Andersen wrote several memoirs and frequently contradicted himself. The exhibition embraces this concept seriously; typically the opinions of his companions or snippets of written messages are shown to politely doubt the author’s own version of happenings. “The author is the guide, but he's untrustworthy,” notes the representative. The outcome is a fascinating swift exploration of Andersen’s life and work, thinking patterns and best-loved tales. This is provocative and whimsical, for grown-ups and children, with a bonus underground make-believe land, Ville Vau, for the children.

Exploring Odense

Returning to the actual city, the small city of the municipality is charming, with stone-paved roads and historic timber buildings colored in cheerful shades. The author's presence is everywhere: the road indicators display the writer with his signature top hat, brass footprints offer a no-cost guided stroll, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Each summer this dedication culminates with the regular Andersen celebration, which celebrates the author’s legacy through art, performance, drama and music.

Recently, the multi-day festival had hundreds of events, the majority were without charge. During my time in this place, I encounter painted stilt-walkers, fantastical beings and an author double telling stories. I listen to feminist spoken-word pieces and witness an amazing evening show with athletic artists descending from the municipal structure and suspended from a mechanical arm. Upcoming events this year are talks, hands-on activities and, expanding the oral history further than the writer, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

All good magical places deserve a palace, and the island boasts numerous historic homes and stately homes around the area

Cycling and Exploration

Similar to much of the country, cycles are the perfect means to get about in the city and a “bicycle route” meanders through the downtown area. Starting at Hotel Odeon, I cycle to the public harbour-side swimming pool, then into the countryside for a circuit around the nearby islet, a compact territory joined by a bridge to the larger island. Town dwellers relax with food here after work, or appreciate a peaceful time fishing, paddleboarding or swimming.

In Odense, I eat at Restaurant Under Lindetræet, where the culinary offerings is derived from author-inspired concepts and tales. The verse the national ode is featured at the restaurant, and owner the host reads extracts, presented in English, as he serves every dish. It’s an experience commonplace in my days in the city, the local residents appreciate narratives and it seems that sharing tales is always on the menu here.

Manor House Visits

Each wonderful magical places require a castle, and Fyn contains over a hundred manors and manor houses around the area. Taking day trips from the city, I tour Egeskov Castle, Europe’s best-preserved Renaissance water castle. Despite parts are available for tours, Egeskov is also the private residence of the noble family and his spouse, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I wonder if she might sense a tiny vegetable through a pile of {mattresses