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Reflected back at me, I appear to be wearing huge golden pantaloons, perceptible exclusively in my view. Children sit in a stone basin imitating sea nymphs, and adjacent sits a speaking vegetable in a exhibition box, next to a towering pile of bedding. It represents the world of H.C. Andersen (1805-1875), a leading 1800s widely adored authors. I'm visiting the city of Odense, situated in Funen in the south of this Nordic country, to explore the author's timeless impact in his birthplace 150 years after his death, and to discover a couple of fairytales of my own.

The Cultural Center: HC Andersens Hus

HC Andersens Hus is the city’s cultural center celebrating the writer, incorporating his childhood house. An expert explains that in past designs of the museum there was scant attention on his fairytales. Andersen's biography was examined, but The Little Mermaid were nowhere to be found. For visitors who visit this place looking for storytelling magic, it was somewhat disappointing.

The renovation of Odense city centre, diverting a main thoroughfare, made it possible to reimagine how the local celebrity could be commemorated. An international design contest gave the Japanese company Kengo Kuma and Associates the contract, with the museum's fresh perspective at the core of the design. The distinctive wood-paneled museum with interlinked spiralling spaces opened to significant attention in 2021. “We have attempted to create a space where we move beyond simply describing Andersen, but we speak in the manner of Andersen: with comedy, irony and outlook,” notes the representative. The outdoor spaces embrace this concept: “It’s a garden for explorers and for colossal creatures, it’s designed to create a feeling of diminutiveness,” he says, a challenge accomplished by thoughtful gardening, experimenting with height, scale and numerous twisting trails in a surprisingly compact space.

The Writer's Legacy

Andersen wrote two and a half autobiographies and regularly changed his story. The exhibition embraces this concept fully; typically the perspectives of his companions or snippets of written messages are presented to gently question the his narrative of events. “The writer is the storyteller, but he’s not reliable,” explains the curator. The result is a engaging whirlwind tour of the author's biography and creations, thought processes and best-loved tales. It is thought-provoking and fun, for mature visitors and kids, with a bonus basement imaginary world, the pretend town, for the smallest guests.

Discovering the City

Back in the physical town, the modest urban center of Odense is delightful, with historic pathways and old wooden houses colored in cheerful shades. The author's presence is all around: the traffic lights feature the storyteller with his iconic formal headwear, metal shoe prints give a complimentary pedestrian route, and there’s a outdoor exhibition too. Each summer this dedication peaks with the regular HC Andersen festival, which celebrates the writer's impact through visual arts, dance, drama and melodies.

During my visit, the seven-day celebration had 500 shows, the majority were complimentary. During my time in the city, I come across artistic acrobats, spooky creatures and an writer impersonator sharing tales. I hear feminist spoken-word pieces and observe an amazing nocturnal display featuring graceful performers lowering from the municipal structure and suspended from a construction equipment. Still to come this year are presentations, family art workshops and, extending the narrative tradition beyond Andersen, the city’s yearly enchantment celebration.

Each wonderful magical places deserve a castle, and this region boasts over a hundred manors and stately homes across the island

Cycling and Exploration

Similar to most of Denmark, bicycles are the ideal method to travel around in Odense and a “cycling highway” meanders through the city centre. Starting at the local hotel, I cycle to the complimentary waterside bathing area, then out of town for a route around Stige Ø, a compact territory connected by causeway to the mainland. Town dwellers have outdoor meals here in the evening, or take pleasure in a peaceful time fishing, aquatic activities or swimming.

Back in town, I visit a local eatery, where the culinary offerings is based on the writer's motifs and tales. The verse the national ode is featured at the restaurant, and owner the host reads extracts, rendered in English, as he introduces the meal. This is a practice repeated often in my visit, the island inhabitants enjoy storytelling and it feels as though sharing tales is constantly available here.

Castle Explorations

All good enchanted locations deserve a castle, and Fyn boasts 123 castles and manor houses across the island. Traveling briefly from Odense, I tour the historic fortress, Europe’s most intact Renaissance water castle. Despite parts are accessible to the public, this historic site is also the personal dwelling of the aristocratic owners and his partner, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. I ponder if she can feel a pea through a pile of {mattresses