Bratislava- Story Telling by the Hans Christian Andersen Statue

A legend persists in Bratislava that it was during a visit to the city that Andersen was inspired to write two of the most famous fairy tales - The Ugly Duckling and A Little Match Girl. Any local patriot will be delighted, a sceptic will dismiss it, but what is undeniable is that Andersen's relationship with Bratislava was very positive.

He wrote: "A grand welcome awaited me here. I love this city, it is so vibrant and colourful. The shops give the impression that they have all been transported here from Vienna. There's so much to see here - one of the townspeople said to me - let's go together to the ruins of the Castle there on the cliff. From there you can see the floating bridge, the whole town and the cornfields around. From up above, the road hangs down as if in mid-air, with its colourful houses and fragrant trees. Children danced there in the warm sunshine. We wanted to walk through a town that offers old traditions and unique legends.

But we also saw beautiful roses and even more beautiful children. I met a pretty little girl with a huge bouquet of flowers. She smiled at me, a stranger. Suddenly she stopped, picked one of the most beautiful roses from the bouquet, handed it to me, bowed her head and disappeared. But this rose must not fade, it will continue to smell like a poem. When the little one is a blooming rose after all these years, perhaps I myself will be able to put that poem in her hands. And will she still remember the stranger to whom she once gave a flower?"