Odense

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.