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In the mirror, I appear to be wearing enormous golden pantaloons, perceptible only to me. Youngsters play in a rock pool acting as mermaids, meanwhile in the next room resides a talking pea in a display case, alongside a towering mound of mattresses. It embodies the domain of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), one of the nineteenth-century's most beloved storytellers. I find myself in this Danish town, located on Funen in the southern part of Denmark, to explore the author's timeless impact in his birthplace a century and a half after his death, and to discover a couple of magical stories of my own.

The Cultural Center: HC Andersens Hus

HC Andersens Hus is the local cultural center dedicated to the author, featuring his first home. A curator notes that in previous versions of the museum there was little focus on Andersen’s stories. Andersen's biography was examined, but The Little Mermaid were absent. For visitors who come to the city looking for storytelling magic, it was somewhat disappointing.

The redevelopment of Odense city centre, diverting a major road, provided the opportunity to rethink how the city’s most famous son could be celebrated. A prestigious architectural challenge awarded the architects from Japan the Kengo Kuma team the commission, with the innovative curatorial vision at the center of the structure. The remarkable wooden museum with interlinked spiralling spaces opened to great fanfare in 2021. “We’ve tried to build a place where we avoid discussing Andersen, but we communicate similarly to the storyteller: with wit, satire and outlook,” explains the representative. Even the gardens embrace this concept: “It’s a garden for wanderers and for large beings, it's created to create a feeling of diminutiveness,” he says, a challenge accomplished by clever planting, playing with verticality, scale and many winding paths in a deceptively small space.

Andersen's Impact

The author penned multiple personal accounts and frequently changed his story. The museum takes this approach to heart; often the views of his acquaintances or fragments of letters are shown to politely doubt the his narrative of events. “The author is the storyteller, but he’s not reliable,” explains the representative. The outcome is a fascinating swift exploration of Andersen’s life and art, mental approaches and best-loved tales. It is provocative and whimsical, for adults and youngsters, with a extra lower-level imaginary world, Ville Vau, for the smallest guests.

Discovering the City

In the physical town, the modest urban center of the municipality is charming, with stone-paved roads and old wooden houses colored in vibrant hues. The author's presence is everywhere: the street signals display the writer with his iconic top hat, bronze footmarks provide a complimentary Andersen walking tour, and there’s a art walk too. Annually in August this focus peaks with the regular HC Andersen festival, which marks the his influence through visual arts, movement, stage shows and music.

Recently, the multi-day festival had 500 shows, the majority were free. While visiting Odense, I encounter painted stilt-walkers, fantastical beings and an Andersen lookalike sharing tales. I experience feminist spoken-word pieces and observe an incredible late-night performance including athletic artists descending from the city building and hanging from a construction equipment. Future activities this year are lectures, family art workshops and, extending the narrative tradition beyond Andersen, the city’s regular enchantment celebration.

All good fairytale destinations require a palace, and Fyn boasts 123 castles and manor houses around the area

Pedaling Through History

Similar to other Danish regions, bikes are the ideal method to navigate in the city and a “bicycle route” winds through the city centre. Starting at the local hotel, I ride to the public waterside bathing area, then beyond the city for a route around Stige Island, a tiny landmass joined by a bridge to the primary land. Local inhabitants relax with food here after work, or take pleasure in a peaceful time angling, water sports or bathing.

In town, I eat at the themed restaurant, where the culinary offerings is based on author-inspired concepts and narratives. The poem the patriotic piece is featured at the restaurant, and owner the restaurateur reads extracts, translated into English, as he introduces the meal. It’s an experience commonplace in my days in the city, the island inhabitants appreciate narratives and it appears narrating is constantly offered here.

Castle Explorations

Every excellent fairytale destinations deserve a fortress, and the island boasts over a hundred manors and stately homes around the area. Going on excursions from town, I tour Egeskov Palace, the continent's finely maintained historic fortress. While much of it are available for tours, 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 pea through a stack of {mattresses