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.
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.
The Trinity
Bjørn Nørgaard's portrait of Hans Christian Andersen - The Trinity - consists of The Shadow, The Improviser and The Travelling Companion.
Hans Christian Andersen on a bench
Jens Galschiøt's 5 sculptures depict respectively H.C. Andersen on the bench, 3 pillars with the little mermaid, Clumsy Hans and the Tin Soldier, and a bench.
Thumbelina - Sculpture by Lotte Olsen
Sculpture by Lotte Olsen. Thumbelina stands on Sortebrødre Torv in her flower and looks for the swallow that is coming to take her away to warmer countries.
The Steadfast Tinsoldier
This bronze sculpture was revealed on December 7th 1996. Like the tin soldier in the fairy-tale it only has one leg.
The Hans Christian Andersen Statue
Bronce statue of the writer in the beautiful Fairytale garden. The sculpture was made by Louis Hasselriis and depicts our favorite fairy tale writer.
The Paper Boat, Sculpture
Made by Erik Heide. The boat, "sailing" in the lake in the H. C. Andersen Garden, often makes visitors think of the tale of the Steadfast Tin Soldier.
The Butterflies in the lake
The butterflies are part of the fairytale playground, which also offers oversized dock leaves and other play equipment for smaller children.
The Wild Swans - Sculpture
This sculpture was revealed on the 150th anniversary of H.C. Andersen's birth. The motive comes from his fairy tale "The Wild Swans".
The Sea Horse - Sculpture
This sculpture / fountain represents a sea horse with rider inspired by H.C. Andersen's play Agnete and the Merman.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Sculpture by Keld Moseholm. One of the many fairy-tale sculptures inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tales which can be found in Odense.
The Woman with the Eggs
The sculpture is based on the story about the woman who held her head so high that she dropped her eggs and saw all her dreams shattered on the ground.
The Toad - Sculpture in Vintapperstraede
The Toad is made of granite and it was unveiled on September the 1st in 1990. The sculpture is built to mimic a small pool in a carved granite rock.
The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep
The tale about the shepherdess and the chimney sweep is, just as other tales by Hans Christian Andersen, based on the romance between two household objects.
The Darning Needle
The Darning Needle was made by Frede Troelsen. The sculpture is designed with two parts - the darning needle and the pin.
The Flying Trunk
The motive is taken from the fairy-tale of "The Flying Trunk" and depicts the trunk going to heaven, lightly resting on three pyramids like towers.
