While driving from Denmark to Sweden, there was one place that I really wanted to stop at and visit while passing through.  This place is on the very itty bitty end of Zealand Island at the edge of the Danish border.  Looking across Øresund Sound is Sweden and after a very short boat ride, you are on Swedish soil.  This place is Kronborg Castle, of course, located in the town of Helsingør.  

Kronborg Castle

Kronborg was originally built in the 1420s by King Eric VII (the first king of a unified Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) as a stronghold called Krogen to be a partner to Kärnan, a medieval tower located on the other side of the sound.  The two buildings sat on either side of the narrowest part of Øresund Sound and were able to control the ship traffic from the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the Baltic Sea via the collection of tolls, or dues.  The collections of these Sound Dues provided a great deal of money to the kings who owned the land.  Interestingly, the Sound Dues were in place until 1857.  In the late 1500s, Kronborg was converted from a medieval stronghold to a Renaissance castle by King Frederick II (the king of Denmark and Norway).  

Kronborg remained a royal residence for hundreds of years which the royal apartments can attest to.  There was a fire in 1629 the demolished most of the castle, but it was quickly rebuilt.  

In 1785, the castle was converted in army barracks.  It remained barracks until 1923.  After renovation is was open to the public.  Today, Kronborg is a classic fairy tale castle, complete with moats, gates, tapestries, and a chapel.  In 2000, it was made an UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.

Hamlet

Kronborg Castle is well-known for a variety of reasons.  It is most famous, perhaps, as the setting for the William Shakespeare’s tragic play about the Danish Prince, Hamlet.  In the play, the castle was referred to as Elsinore which is the anglicized name of Helsingør, the town that Kronborg is located in.  Hamlet has been performed at Kronborg many times over the years.  Imagine seeing Laurence Olivier, Christopher Plummer, or David Tennant play Hamlet at Kronborg? If only.

The Castle Underground

One of my favorite parts of Kronborg was walking through the dark crypts and catacombs below ground.  These casemates were built in the late 1500s when Kronborg was converted from a stronghold into a Renaissance castle.  During times of siege, the castle residents would store food and hide out below.  The lights are kept to a minimum here to add to the overall feeling of intrigue.  There are flashlights available, if you need one, though I did quite well using the flashlight on my cellphone.

Holger the Dane

Walking through the maze of underground passageways, you will stumble onto Holger the Dane (or Holger Danske); an immense statue of a sleeping warrior sitting in a chair with his sword and shield at the ready.  This concrete statute was made by Danish sculptor, Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan, in 1907.  According to legend, Holger has been sleeping for hundreds of years, but will wake up to defend Denmark if it is ever in need.

Where is it located?

Kronborg Castle is located in the town of Helsingør in Denmark, on the very tip of Zealand Island.