Eventyrhaven (The Fairy Tale Garden), Odense

A riverside garden with a storybook setting

Eventyrhaven, also known as the Fairy Tale Garden or H.C. Andersen Garden, unfolds in a graceful sweep along the Odense River just behind the cathedral and city hall. Enclosed by mature trees and framed by the town’s historic skyline, it feels at once central and secluded. Lawns spill gently towards the water, while paths wind past herbaceous borders and banks planted in soft layers of colour. Season is everything here. In early spring, beds brim with bulbs, followed later by dahlias and perennials that create dense tapestries of reds, yellows and purples. Benches placed at natural viewpoints invite you to linger, watch the slow current of the river and listen to church bells echo faintly across the rooftops.

From private garden to Odense’s green drawing room

The garden’s roots reach back to 1876, when it was laid out by the city’s Reading Association as a refined private park. Access was once restricted to those fortunate enough to hold a library card, and the garden functioned as a cultivated retreat for Odense’s bourgeoisie. In 1942 it passed to the municipality, which transformed it into a more open, flowing park landscape. The redesign drew on the ideas of leading Danish garden architects of the time, who embraced sculpted lawns, clear sightlines and careful use of water and level changes. Today, the result feels both classic and informal: a series of green rooms edging the river, stitched together by bridges, terraces and broad steps that make the water a constant companion.

Bridges, pergolas and a circular island

One of Eventyrhaven’s most distinctive features is its small circular island – the rotunda – accessed by a curved wooden bridge over the river. The island is crowned by a pergola structure that gives it the feel of an outdoor pavilion. Wooden steps and terraces along the riverbank double as seating, turning the water’s edge into a natural amphitheatre for quiet contemplation or informal gatherings. Details reward careful exploration: the geometry of former diamond-shaped beds still informs the layout, and a low "Chinese wall" structure and carefully crafted railings add subtle architectural interest. From the bridges, views open in every direction, taking in church spires, the river, flower beds and the occasional swan or duck gliding past at eye level.

Hans Christian Andersen in bronze and stone

Given Odense’s association with Hans Christian Andersen, it is no surprise that Eventyrhaven pays direct homage to its most famous son. Near one of the main bridges stands a bronze statue of Andersen, created in the mid-20th century, depicting the writer seated with a book in hand. It is positioned so that he appears to look across the garden, as if drawing inspiration from the people and scenes before him. Just below, in the river itself, a stylised metal paper boat sails eternally downstream, a playful reference to Andersen’s imaginative universe. Scattered elsewhere in the park are additional sculptures that quietly pick up themes of childhood, storytelling and nature, making the garden feel like an outdoor gallery woven seamlessly into the landscape.

Plays, picnics and everyday pauses

In summer, the garden takes on a more theatrical character when the small "fairy-tale castle" pavilion hosts the H.C. Andersen Parade – a short children’s theatre show based on snippets of the author’s tales. On performance days, the lawns in front of the stage fill with picnic blankets, prams and quietly excited children waiting for the actors to appear. Beyond these events, Eventyrhaven works on a more low-key rhythm. Office workers drift through at lunchtime, families use the nearby playground, and couples find quiet corners under mature trees. It is as much a place for reading on a bench as for strolling at dusk, when the last light sinks behind cathedral towers and the river reflects the shifting colours of the sky.

An easy escape in the middle of Odense

Because the garden sits so close to the city’s key sights, it often becomes the green pause between visits to museums, churches and historic streets. Paths are mostly level and well maintained, making it straightforward for prams and wheelchairs, though some of the terraced steps by the water can be uneven. Whether you come for a quick breather, an unhurried loop around the lawns, or to sit through a full performance on a summer day, Eventyrhaven offers a simple but enduring pleasure: a calm, thoughtfully designed slice of nature that feels deeply woven into Odense’s cultural fabric.