Visit Kronborg Castle, the home of Hamlet
Kronborg Castle is a dramatic fortress of pointed turrets, lavish decor and palatial extravagance.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a short car or train journey from Copenhagen, and lies a short boat ride from Sweden.
The beginnings of Kronborg
That location at a narrow point across the Øresund straits was the reason the castle was built. In 1420, the Danish King, Eric of Pomerania wanted to collect a toll (tax) from all ships passing to and from the Baltic Sea, so built a rudimentary barracks and fort called Krogen (meaning ‘the hook’ in English) on the site where Kronborg now stands.
It wasn’t for another 150 years that the site was changed, during the reign of Frederik II, this time to accomodate a far larger and impressive fortress to help in Denmark-Norway’s Seven Years War with Sweden.
The later Kronborg
It was used for a time as a royal residence, hence the opulent interiors and vast feasting halls. But after the Karl Gustav Wars (more of Sweden fighting Denmark!) in 1658, where the garrison was defeated and the building plundered, it became more of a military fortress than royal palace. The Danish royals preferred their residences and summerhouses in Copenhagen like Amalienborg, Rosenborg and Frederiksberg or Marselisborg in Aarhus.
It was during the 18th and 19th centuries that further fortifications and military buildings were added, making Kronborg into a ‘star fortress’ style seen at Kastellet in Copenhagen, and frequently seen during the Napoleonic wars.
Shakespeare and Kronborg
Most Danes are pretty proud of Kronborg’s connection to Shakespeare and Hamlet, and when you’re walking around the castle you’ll see a lot of references to the play (particularly in the gift shop!).
At the time of Shakespeare writing the play, Kronborg castle, aka Elsinore Castle, was one of the grandest buildings in Europe. Strolling around the royal chambers you can see the wealth on display, particularly in the banquet hall, which was larger even than the one in Versailles in France.
Although Shakespeare never actually visited Helsingør or the castle, he undoubtedly would have heard stories of this place.
Looking from Kronborg towards the harbour and town of Helsingør, with later fortifications in the foreground.
The inner courtyard of Kronborg, where there are regular performances of Shakespeare’s famous play.
Getting to Kronborg Castle
Walking from the town of Helsingør, you have a beautiful (if somewhat windy) approach along the harbour towards the castle. The town itself is lovely, with great food places and a cultural centre right beside the water’s edge.
It’s hard to miss the looming spires and brick defences which jut out into the harbour of the town and the straits of the Øresund beyond.
Once you get close to the castle, you’ll have to cross a series of wooden bridges with surrounding fortifications. Before heading towards the cafe and ticket office, take a look at the large metal sculpture and information boards, which give you good context into the castle’s history and explain the choice of its location.
In the summer, the battlements surrounding the inner castle are a great spot to have your lunch, before strolling around the walls to the harbour once more.
Getting to Helsingør:
If you are happen to have a car, it takes less than an hour from the middle of Copenhagen to head northwards to Helsingør.
It’s also an easy trip on the train. There are regular services leaving Copenhagen Central Station which terminate at Helsingør, with the journey taking about 50-55 minutes. You might consider combining your day trip with a visit to Louisiana art gallery (getting off at Humlebæk train station).
If you’re travelling from Sweden, there is a car & passenger ferry every twenty minutes throughout the day, which departs from the main harbour in Helsingborg and takes around 20 minutes.
There you have it. A guide to Shakespeare’s Elsinore (aka Kronborg Castle) in a nutshell. Be sure to leave a comment if you enjoyed this guide and please have an explore of the website to find other articles.
