Find the fairy tale sculptures in Odense
In Hans Christian Andersen's home town, Odense, you can see the characters from his fairy tales come to life all over the city; In parks and streets and alleys you will find sculptures by various artists, all of whom have been inspired by the author's writings.
Photo: Skytte Visuals
Fairy Tale Sculptures
Thumbelina, the one-legged tin soldier, the wild swans and the shepherdess and the chimney sweep can all be found in Odense's streets. If you follow our route and see all of them you will also pass most of the major attractions in the city centre.
At the bottom of this page you will find a link to a pdf list of all the fairy tale sculptures, including a map of their locations.
Photo: Joan Jensen© VisitOdense
The Trinity
Bjørn Nørgaard's portrait of Hans Christian Andersen Three separate personas twisted together and then apart. This portrait of Hans Christian Andersen is as complex as the writer himself, which was the whole point of Nørgaard’s work.
Photo: Claes Beck Poulsen
Hans Christian Andersen on a bench
Hans Christian Andersen sitting on a bench is just one of the total of 5 sculptures surrounding the entrance of the hotel.
Photo: Johan Joensen© VisitOdense
Thumbelina - Sculpture by Lotte Olsen
Thumbelina stands in her flower, looking for the swallow that is coming to take her away to warmer countries.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Steadfast Tinsoldier
This is another take on one of Hans Christian Andersen's favourite themes; the romance between two inanimate objects.
Photo: Joan Jensen
The Hans Christian Andersen Statue
This bronce statue was revealed on June the 19th in 1888 in the Kings Garden. In 1905 it was moved to Graabroedre Plads and in 1949 it was moved to it's current position in the Fairytale Garden.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Paper Boat, Sculpture
The boat, "sailing" in the lake in the Fairytale Garden, often makes visitors think of the tale of the Steadfast Tin Soldier.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Butterflies in the lake
In Munke Mose you can find this fine sculpture/decoration of coloured butterflies floating above the water in the small lake.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Wild Swans - Sculpture
The dynamic sculpture shows the 11 brothers and their sister, Elisa, who is lying naked on the swans’ wings, as they fly away.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Sea Horse - Sculpture
At the entrance to Munke Mose, it is impossible to miss this powerful, snorting fable animal with a mermaid on its back.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Emperor's New Clothes
Keld Moseholm's (1936 -) sculpture is based on the fairy tale “The Emperors new Clothes” and you can almost hear the small boy yelling "But he hasn't got anything on", as the emperor looks at himself in the mirror.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Woman with the Eggs
When strolling along the pedestrian street Kongensgade, you will find the sculpture “The Woman with the Eggs”, standing tall where Kongensgade meets Slotsgade.
Photo: Joan Jensen© VisitOdense
The Toad - Sculpture in Vintapperstraede
Hans Christian Andersen's tale about the toad is a tale about dreaming of seeing more of the world and travelling out to do so. It is also the inspiration for this little sculpture that you can find in the charming Vintapperstræde.
Photo: VisitOdense
The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep
Placed on a 5 meters high plinth, the Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep are ready to take on the world.
Photo: Joan Jensen
The Darning Needle
This sculpture contains two parts, symbolizing the characters from the tale; the Darning Needle and the Pin.
Photo: Louise Juel Rasmussen
The Flying Trunk
This H.C. Andersen sculpture is number four out of a series of eight and was revealed in 1995. The artist is Jens Flemming Sørensen.
Map of fairy tale sculptures
eventyrskulpturer.pdf
PDF189KB
