Odense
"The city that raised the man who taught the world that fairy tales are not just for children."
Odense belongs to Hans Christian Andersen. The city on the island of Funen has embraced its most famous son with genuine affection, and the new H.C. Andersen Museum — designed by Kengo Kuma, built partly underground, its gardens growing over the roof — is a masterpiece that reimagines the fairy tales through architecture, sound, and light. It is not a museum about Andersen so much as an experience of his imagination, and it is extraordinary.
The old town around the museum is all half-timbered houses and narrow lanes, perfectly preserved and lively with cafes and shops. Andersen’s childhood home still stands on Munkemollestraede. But Odense is more than its literary heritage — the Funen Art Museum holds an excellent collection of Danish painting, the river walk is beautiful, and the city’s cycling culture rivals Copenhagen’s without the traffic.
When to go: May through September for outdoor life and the best weather. The H.C. Andersen Festival in August brings performances and parades. December for Christmas decorations that suit the fairy-tale streets. The museum is excellent year-round.