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Looking at my reflection, I seem to have on huge shimmering pantaloons, visible only to me. Children sit in a stone basin pretending to be ocean creatures, and nearby resides a speaking vegetable in a exhibition box, beside a towering stack of cushions. It embodies the world of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a leading nineteenth-century's widely adored authors. I find myself in this Danish town, situated in the island of Fyn in the southern part of the Danish kingdom, to explore the author's timeless impact in his birthplace many decades after his demise, and to experience a handful of enchanted tales of my own.

The Cultural Center: The Andersen Museum

The H.C. Andersen Museum is the town's museum dedicated to the author, featuring his original residence. A curator explains that in previous versions of the museum there was little focus on his fairytales. The writer’s life was examined, but The Ugly Duckling were absent. For guests who come to Odense in search of narrative enchantment, it was a little lacking.

The redesign of Odense city centre, rerouting a main thoroughfare, made it possible to reimagine how the city’s most famous son could be commemorated. A major architecture competition awarded the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the project, with the innovative curatorial vision at the center of the structure. The distinctive wood-paneled museum with connected curving spaces launched to great fanfare in 2021. “We have attempted to create a space where we avoid discussing the writer, but we speak in the manner of him: with wit, sarcasm and outlook,” notes the representative. The landscape design take this approach: “This is a landscape for explorers and for colossal creatures, it's created to make you feel small,” he notes, an objective realized by clever planting, experimenting with verticality, proportion and many winding paths in a unexpectedly limited space.

The Author's Influence

Andersen wrote multiple memoirs and often provided conflicting accounts. The exhibition adopts this philosophy to heart; often the views of his acquaintances or excerpts of written messages are presented to politely doubt the his narrative of incidents. “The writer is the guide, but he's untrustworthy,” notes the representative. The outcome is a fascinating whirlwind tour of his personal story and creations, thought processes and most popular tales. It’s thought-provoking and playful, for grown-ups and children, with a additional underground imaginary world, the pretend town, for the youngest visitors.

Discovering the City

Returning to the actual city, the modest urban center of this Danish city is charming, with cobbled streets and old wooden houses painted in vibrant hues. The Andersen legacy is everywhere: the street signals show the author with his distinctive formal headwear, metal shoe prints offer a no-cost pedestrian route, and there’s a art walk too. Every August this dedication peaks with the yearly storytelling event, which honors the writer's impact through art, movement, stage shows and music.

This year, the multi-day festival had hundreds of events, the majority were free. While visiting this place, I meet artistic acrobats, spooky creatures and an author double sharing tales. I experience feminist spoken-word pieces and see an incredible late-night performance with acrobatic dancers coming down from the town hall and hanging from a mechanical arm. Still to come in the coming months are lectures, family art workshops and, expanding the storytelling legacy beyond Andersen, the city’s yearly Magic Days festival.

Each wonderful enchanted locations deserve a castle, and Fyn features 123 castles and manor houses throughout the region

Biking Adventures

Like most of Denmark, bikes are the ideal method to get about in Odense and a “bike path” meanders through the urban core. Starting at Hotel Odeon, I ride to the public waterside bathing area, then out of town for a loop around Stige Ø, a tiny landmass connected by causeway to the larger island. Town dwellers relax with food here following their day, or enjoy a quiet hour angling, paddleboarding or bathing.

In the city, I visit Restaurant Under Lindetræet, where the food selection is based on author-inspired concepts and narratives. The verse Denmark, My Native Land appears during my meal, and manager the host recites passages, translated into English, as he serves every dish. It’s an experience repeated often in my days in the city, the fynbo appreciate narratives and it seems that narrating is always offered here.

Manor House Visits

Each wonderful fairytale destinations deserve a palace, and this region features numerous historic homes and manor houses throughout the region. Taking day trips from the city, I explore Egeskov Palace, the region's finely maintained moated palace. Despite parts are accessible to the public, this historic site is also the personal dwelling of the aristocratic owners and his partner, the princess. I wonder if she can feel a pea through a pile of {mattresses