Reflected back at me, I seem to have on enormous gilded pantaloons, seen exclusively in my view. Children play in a water feature imitating ocean creatures, meanwhile nearby sits a talking pea in a exhibition box, alongside a towering mound of mattresses. It embodies the universe of H.C. Andersen (1805-1875), one of the nineteenth-century's most beloved authors. I'm visiting the city of Odense, on the island of Fyn in the south of the Danish kingdom, to investigate the author's lasting influence in his birthplace 150 years after his death, and to find a couple of magical stories of my own.
The Exhibition: The Andersen Museum
HC Andersens Hus is the town's museum honoring the writer, featuring his first home. A curator states that in earlier iterations of the museum there was minimal emphasis on his fairytales. His personal history was examined, but Thumbelina were missing. For tourists who travel to Odense looking for narrative enchantment, it was a little lacking.
The redevelopment of the city center, rerouting a primary street, created the chance to rethink how the city’s most famous son could be celebrated. An international design contest gave Japanese firm the Kengo Kuma team the commission, with the innovative curatorial vision at the heart of the design. The unique wood-paneled museum with interlinked spiralling spaces launched to significant attention in 2021. “We have attempted to create a space where we avoid discussing Andersen, but we communicate similarly to the storyteller: with humour, irony and viewpoint,” notes the curator. The outdoor spaces take this approach: “This is a landscape for wanderers and for colossal creatures, it’s designed to give you a sense of smallness,” he notes, a goal realized by clever planting, playing with elevation, scale and numerous twisting trails in a deceptively small space.
Andersen's Impact
The author penned several personal accounts and regularly contradicted himself. The museum embraces this concept fully; often the views of his companions or fragments of letters are shown to subtly challenge the author’s own version of happenings. “Andersen is the storyteller, but he's untrustworthy,” says the representative. The result is a fascinating swift exploration of his personal story and work, mental approaches and favorite narratives. It is stimulating and fun, for grown-ups and kids, with a additional basement make-believe land, the pretend town, for the smallest guests.
Visiting the Town
Returning to the physical town, the compact town of this Danish city is delightful, with cobbled streets and old wooden houses painted in bright colours. The Andersen legacy is ubiquitous: the road indicators show the writer with his distinctive top hat, metal shoe prints provide a complimentary pedestrian route, and there’s a art walk too. Every August this focus reaches its height with the annual storytelling event, which honors the his influence through visual arts, performance, stage shows and music.
During my visit, the week-long celebration had numerous performances, many were without charge. As I explore the city, I come across colorful performers on stilts, fantastical beings and an author double narrating adventures. I listen to contemporary performances and witness an incredible nocturnal display with acrobatic dancers descending from the town hall and dangling from a crane. Upcoming events in the coming months are talks, creative sessions for all ages and, broadening the storytelling legacy beyond Andersen, the city’s regular enchantment celebration.
Each wonderful magical places deserve a fortress, and the island contains 123 castles and manor houses around the area
Pedaling Through History
Similar to other Danish regions, cycles are the ideal method to travel around in the city and a “bicycle route” winds through the urban core. From the local hotel, I cycle to the public waterside bathing area, then beyond the city for a loop around Stige Island, a tiny landmass connected by causeway to the mainland. Town dwellers picnic here following their day, or take pleasure in a tranquil moment angling, paddleboarding or bathing.
Back in Odense, I eat at the themed restaurant, where the culinary offerings is based on author-inspired concepts and stories. The verse the national ode appears during my meal, and manager Nils Palmqvist reads extracts, presented in English, as he serves every dish. This is a practice commonplace in my visit, the local residents love a yarn and it seems that narrating is constantly offered here.
Historic Estate Tours
All good fairytale destinations require a castle, and Fyn features over a hundred manors and stately homes around the area. Traveling briefly from town, I tour Egeskov Castle, the continent's finely maintained moated palace. While much of it are available for tours, this historic site is also the family home of Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and his wife, the princess. I ponder if she might sense a small legume through a stack of {mattresses
