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The "Fairytale Land" - Denmark, the Enchanting
by [Faery]
The little Mermaid, The princess and the pea, The brave tin soldier… Do they remind you of something? Wisps of memory from your past, the softness of childhood, when your parents came to read to you at night… That’s part of what those fairytales may bring up, and they are still actual for thousands of children around the world. The three stories above, along with 165 others, have one thing in common. They were written by one of the world’s most prolific fairytale writers, in a country of snow, ice and fog, but also of stories and legend stronger and more fantastic than one can imagine. Their father was Hans Christian Andersen, and the little rainbow colored houses are still up in his hometown of Odense, Denmark.
Denmark is related to a large number of stories, old and recent, stories of fantasy or drama, stories that have enchanted generations, some for hundreds of years. Shakespeare himself placed the setting of his infamous Hamlet in the castle of Helsinborg, at the very north of the country, and still today, you can visit the place and admire the statues of Hamlet and Ophelia that keep guard on their creepy palace, which some legends call haunted. But Shakespeare was English, whereas Andersen is a pure man of the place. He was born in Odense in 1805, and the town is very proud of its most famous citizen. While you walk along the little streets, take time to admire the colourful surroundings. It is a call to life in a country where winter was, until quite recently, master of everything for the bigger part of the year. You can blame global warming for changing the situation, but the now warmer climate also makes it nicer to visit the place all year long! Odense offers tourists a guided tour in Andersen’s footsteps, which is worth taking if you are interested in the younger years of the man. For people who would like to visit the countryside in a safe, worry free way, some bus tours of the surrounding villages scattered around “fairytale land” are also offered.
Before leaving for the capital, be sure to take the time to visit two of the many attractions dedicated to the famous storyteller. The Hans Christian Andersen Museum gives you an indepth insight into the man’s life and work. It is well situated in the old part of town and is a charming stop if you are a little cold during a winter visit of the town. Andersen’s Childhood Home has been thoroughly refurbished for the Hans Christian Andersen year in 2005. The writer spent his childhood and most of his teen years there, and it is quite interesting to understand the context in which he grew up, and which formed the mind of such a great writer. For families, the Tinder-Box children’s cultural center invites the younger to a magical tour around Andersen’s most renowned fairytales.
Andersen was strongly attached to his country, but he left his hometown to move into Copenhagen, the capital, when he was still a fourteen year old boy. From the poor neighbourhood of Odense where he was born he managed, through his talent, to make his way to the higher social class. Copenhagen still keeps a number of monuments and plaques to honour his memory, but one of the most beautiful and most renowned homage that was made to him resides right in the water. The Statue of the Little Mermaid at Langelinie, given by the artist Edvard Eriksen to the city of Copenhagen in 1913, is a charming sight you mustn’t miss. Copenhagen is also the home of a new H.C. Andersen Museum, as well as a great number of statues, one of which can be admired in the very heart of the Royal rose garden. While there, take the time to enjoy yourself and walk around the city. Although you won’t find Andersen’s footsteps in front of every attraction, Copenhagen, as well as the rest of Denmark, is well worth the time you can spend there. From the Viking ships found in the Roskilde museum to the Free Town of Christiania, located in the heart of the capital, there is always something new to discover in the “Fairytale land” of Hans Christian Andersen.
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