Ville Vau at H.C. Andersen’s House, Odense

A fairy-tale world built just for children

Ville Vau is the children’s wonderland within H.C. Andersen’s House, tucked into the green pocket of H.C. Andersen Haven in central Odense. Conceived as a dedicated play universe, it translates the spirit of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales into rooms that invite children to crawl, climb, dress up and invent stories of their own. Rather than focusing on artefacts, Ville Vau is all about imaginative play, where Andersen’s characters and motifs become prompts instead of exhibits. Step inside and you enter a sequence of low‑scaled spaces, cosy corners and nooks that feel tailored to small bodies and big imaginations. Light, colour and sound are used to suggest different moods, from quiet corners for make‑believe to more energetic areas where children can act out entire adventures. Everything is robust, touchable and intended to be used, not just looked at.

Play oases, costumes and story settings

The heart of Ville Vau is a series of themed play oases. Each one hints at scenes and ideas drawn from Andersen’s world: a princely interior here, a woodland hideaway there, perhaps a ship’s deck or a crooked rooftop. Rather than reproducing specific tales literally, the settings borrow familiar elements – a crown, a feathered cloak, a mysterious chest – and let children weave them into their own narratives. Costumes and props are everywhere: capes, hats, gowns, animal ears, toy swords and theatrical accessories that can be combined in endless ways. Rails and trunks encourage children to rummage and choose who they want to be – royal, rogue, creature or storyteller. Soft furnishings and varied levels invite climbing, lounging and staging impromptu performances, often with adults recruited as extras in the drama.

Creative workshops and hands-on making

Upstairs, Ville Vau opens into a light‑filled creative workshop space devoted to crafts and painting. Here, tables are laid out with paper, colours and simple materials so children can draw characters, paint scenes or experiment with textures and collage. Staffed sessions sometimes guide visitors through simple activities, but the space is equally suited to unstructured making where families can linger and work at their own pace. The workshop extends the museum’s focus on storytelling into the act of creation. Children not only move through a fairy‑tale world; they also produce their own images and ideas inspired by what they have seen. Finished pieces can be taken home as personal mementos of the visit, reinforcing the feeling that Ville Vau is a place where imagination leaves a tangible trace.

Part of the wider H.C. Andersen universe

Although Ville Vau feels like a world of its own, it is closely integrated with the architecture and garden of H.C. Andersen’s House. Large windows, glimpses of greenery and the proximity of the surrounding fairy‑tale garden keep a connection to the outdoors, so children’s play flows naturally between interior rooms and the wider museum environment. Families can alternate between the more contemplative, immersive exhibition spaces downstairs and the exuberant, physical energy of Ville Vau. The setting in H.C. Andersen Haven means that, before or after a session of intense play, it is easy to step outside into paths, hedges and small clearings that echo themes from the author’s stories. Sculptural elements, planting and sightlines continue the sense of entering a storybook landscape, creating a full‑day experience centred on Andersen’s imagination.

Practicalities for families

Ville Vau is designed for children accompanied by adults, with facilities and layouts that make it straightforward for families to settle in for several hours. Soft surfaces, clear sightlines and defined play zones help carers keep track of younger visitors, while seating areas allow adults to rest without leaving the action. The broader museum complex provides access to restrooms, café options and a shop, all within short walking distance under one roof. Located in the heart of Odense, Ville Vau is easy to combine with other Hans Christian Andersen sites nearby, yet it stands out as the most unashamedly child‑centred part of the experience. For many families, it becomes the moment when Andersen’s universe moves from page and exhibition to something lived, laughed through and physically explored.