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• 1. Shakespeare used Kronborg Castle in Hamlet!
• 2. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 3. You can meet famous Danish statue, Holger the Dane.
• 4. It’s only an hour north of Copenhagen.
• 5. Helsingør and the Maritime Museum nearby are also fun to explore!

Kronborg Castle – aka Hamlet's Castle!

Put Hamlet’s Castle, Kronborg, on your list of things to see whilst in Denmark! Whether you’re looking for things to do near Copenhagen or have more time to explore, there's time enough to visit Denmark’s most famous castle, immortalised by Shakespeare back in the 1600s.

Kronborg Castle – Home of Hamlet

This is it – the actual castle that Shakespeare set Hamlet in! There are many mysteries surrounding Shakespeare and whether or not he ever visited Kronborg Castle is one of them. In Hamlet, Shakespeare called Kronborg Castle Elsinore. This has become the English name for Helsingør, the town where you can visit Kronborg.

Photo : Jens Herrndorff

The history of Kronborg Castle (Elsinore)

Kronborg Castle has existed at Helsingør (Elsinore) since 1420. It’s been burned to the ground and rebuilt since, but always maintained its vital position at the head of the Øresund Sound. Ships passing into the Baltic Sea paid tolls at Kronborg Castle and Helsingør was once one of the most important towns in Europe. In 2000, Kronborg Castle became a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

Inside Hamlet’s Castle: Guided tours of Kronborg

You can learn the rich history of Kronborg Castle (Elsinore) on guided tours every day. There are 3 different tours of different lengths and some are free once you’ve paid to get into the castle. Find out  times and prices of guided tours here .

Helsingør's Holger the Dane (Holger Danske)

Exploring the creepy crypts and catacombs of Kronborg Castle is a great experience. Hidden deep down under the castle you’ll meet  Holger the Dane  (Holger Danske), an imposing stone statue. Holger the Dane is a legendary figure in Danish culture. If Denmark is ever in trouble, he’ll wake from his rock throne under Helsingør and defend her!

Shakespeare Festival at Hamlet’s Castle

Each summer, you can enjoy live performances of Shakespeare’s greatest plays from Danish and international companies, including the  Royal Shakespeare Company . There are Shakespeare events for all the family at  HamletScenen’s Shakespeare Festival  at Kronborg Castle. It's a great summer day out from Copenhagen.

Photo : Daniel Overbeck - VisitNordsjælland

Practical information

3000 Helsingør

Longitude : 12.621725

Latitude : 56.038966

How to get to Kronborg Castle

If you go by car from Copenhagen , you’ll find Kronborg Castle about  an hour's drive up the motorway .

You can also go by train from Copenhagen. Take a DBS train to Helsingør, 45 minutes from Copenhagen Central Station .

If you are coming from Sweden, you can take the Sweden to Denmark ferry between Helsingør and Helsingborg.

Find out more about Kronborg Castle in Helsingør

Look here for more info on opening times or go directly to the official website of VisitNorthSealand .

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• Kronborg Castle
• Description

Located on a strategically important site commanding the Sund, the stretch of water between Denmark and Sweden, the Royal castle of Kronborg at Helsingør (Elsinore) is of immense symbolic value to the Danish people and played a key role in the history of northern Europe in the 16th-18th centuries. Work began on the construction of this outstanding Renaissance castle in 1574, and its defences were reinforced according to the canons of the period's military architecture in the late 17th century. It has remained intact to the present day. It is world-renowned as Elsinore, the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Château de Kronborg

Edifié sur un site stratégique d'une grande importance qui commande le Sund, étendue d'eau entre le Danemark et la Suède, le château royal de Kronborg à Helsingør (Elseneur) revêt une valeur symbolique considérable pour les Danois. Il a également joué un rôle prépondérant dans l'histoire de l'Europe du Nord aux XVI e -XVIII e siècles. Les travaux de construction de cet exceptionnel château Renaissance ont commencé en 1574 et ses ouvrages défensifs furent renforcés, selon les usages de l'architecture militaire de l'époque, à la fin du XVII e siècle. Il est demeuré intact jusqu'à nos jours. Il est mondialement connu comme le château d'Elseneur, cadre de Hamlet, la plus célèbre des tragédies de Shakespeare.

قصر كرونبورغ

شُيّد قصر كرونبورغ في إلسينور على موقع استراتيجي مهم يُطلّ على السوند، هذه المساحة المائيّة بين الدانمرك والسويد، وهو يرتدي أهميّةً رمزيّةً للدانمركيين. أدّى دوراً مهمّاً في تاريخ أوروبا الشماليّة بين القرنين السادس عشر والثامن عشر. بدأت أعمال بناء قصر النهضة الاستثنائي هذا عام 1574 وجرى تدعيم ركائزه الدافعيّة، عملاً بمعطيات الهندسة العسكريّة في تلك الحقبة، أواخر القرن السابع عشر. وهو لا يزال على حاله في يومنا هذا. ويُعرف عالميّاً بقصر إلسينور حيث دارت فصول مسرحيّة هامليت، أشهر قصائد شكسبير.

source: UNESCO/CPE Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

赫尔辛基的科隆博格城堡位于一个重要的战略要塞上，居高临下面对丹麦与瑞典交界的桑德(Sund)水域，对丹麦人具有巨大的象征意义，在16世纪至18世纪的北欧历史中发挥了重要作用。这个辉煌的文艺复兴时期风格的城堡始建于1574年，17世纪晚期，城堡的防御工事根据当时军事建筑的惯例得到了加强。城堡至今仍保存完好。赫尔辛基也因是莎士比亚巨著《哈姆雷特》的场景所在地而闻名全球。

Castillo de Kronborg

Construido en Helsingør (Elsinor), llave del estrecho de Sund que separa Dinamarca de Suecia, el castillo y palacio real de Kronborg tiene un gran valor simbólico para los daneses. Este excepcional edificio renacentista desempeñó un papel importante en la historia europea desde el siglo XVI hasta el XVIII. Su construcción dio comienzo en 1574 y sus defensas fueron reforzadas a finales del siglo XVII, con arreglo a los cánones de la arquitectura militar de esa época. El edificio ha permanecido intacto hasta nuestros días y es mundialmente conocido con el nombre de castillo de Elsinor, por ser el escenario escogido por Shakespeare para su célebre tragedia “Hamlet”.

source: NFUAJ

Slot Kronborg

Het Koninklijke slot van Kronborg in Helsingør is van grote symbolische waarde voor het Deense volk en speelde een sleutelrol in de geschiedenis van Noord-europa van de 16e tot de 18e eeuw. Het slot ligt op een strategisch belangrijke plaats aan de Sont, de strook water tussen Denemarken. De bouw van dit opmerkelijke Renaissance kasteel begon in 1574. In september 1629 werd Kronborg verwoest door brand en bleven alleen de muren over. Dankzij de onmiddellijke restauratie is het kasteel grotendeels gelijkvormig aan zijn oorspronkelijke vorm. Het slot is tot op heden intact gebleven en wereldwijd bekend als Elsinore, het decor van Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Source: unesco.nl

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis 

Kronborg Castle is located north of Elsinore on a strategically important site commanding the Sound (Øresund), a narrow stretch of water between Denmark and Sweden. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, Kronborg Castle played a key role in the history of Northern Europe.

The Sound is the gateway to the Baltic Sea and from 1429 to 1857, Denmark controlled this passage thanks to Kronborg Castle, positioned at the narrowest part of the Sound, which is only four kilometres wide. Around 1.8 million ships passed through the Sound during this period and all of them had to pay a toll at Kronborg Castle. For this reason Kronborg Castle and its fortress became a symbol of Denmark’s power. The Sound toll was not just a source of income; it was also a political instrument. By favouring the shipping trade of selected nations or by allowing their navies free passage, Denmark was in a position to create important alliances. The control of the Sound was essential and it became an important issue in the motives and courses of several wars. For this reason Kronborg Castle was of great significance, not just for Denmark, but for all major seafaring nations.

In the 1420s, Eric of Pomerania built the first castle, the ”Krogen”, on this unique site. Remnants of the old walls can still be seen at the castle today. In 1574 King Frederik II began the construction of the outstanding Renaissance castle and the surrounding fortifications, which would eventually be known as Kronborg Castle. Following the disastrous fire of 1629 the castle was reconstructed almost exactly as it was before. The Chapel, which was the only building not to have been ravaged by the fire, has preserved its original altar, gallery, and pews, with fine carvings and painted panels.

The castle itself is a Renaissance building with four wings surrounding a spacious courtyard. The bright sandstone facades are characterized by horizontal bands and the front walls are balanced by towers and spires. The castle is extensively and richly decorated with sandstone ornaments in unique and imaginative designs. The Great Hall (the banqueting hall) is one of the most exquisite rooms from this time – and the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. Kronborg Castle is also world famous as the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet .

Kronborg Castle was admired for its beauty as a castle and feared for its strength as a fortress. The castle was protected by tall ramparts and strong angular bastions. The overall impression of Kronborg Castle is closely associated with its architecture and location, which stress the castle's symbolic, commercial, and strategic importance.

Criterion (iv): Kronborg Castle is an outstanding example of the Renaissance castle, and one which played a highly significant role in the history of this region of northern Europe.

All the elements required to express Kronborg’s value as a Renaissance castle and military fortress are found within the borders of the inscribed area. For the purposes of effective protection of the important views, a permanent buffer zone has been established and view corridors have been designated. At the time of inscription, a temporary buffer zone of 100 meters had been established around Kronborg Castle. Furthermore, it was required that the passage between Kronborg Castle and the medieval city of Elsinore be opened up. The buffer zone should be defined once an overall plan is decided for this area, including the removal of parts of the former shipyard.

Authenticity

Over the centuries, Kronborg Castle has undergone several alterations. In 1629 the castle was destroyed by a fire, but it was rebuilt shortly after in almost precisely the same shape. In 1658 the fortress was bombarded and conquered by the Swedish army, which subsequently plundered the castle. In 1785, when the military moved into the castle, several alterations were made to the interior space. In 1924-38, when the military no longer occupied the fortress, a thorough restoration took place and the alterations were removed. In 1991 the military finally abandoned the Kronborg area. Throughout the years, the fortifications surrounding the castle have been altered and expanded to accommodate new arms and their ranges. In 1882, when the Elsinore shipyard was founded, the fortress area was partially destroyed. After the closure and demolition of parts of the shipyard in 1982, restoration projects were carried out in order to restore and re-establish the fortified area’s previous size and shape for the purpose of enhancing the experience of the castle’s strategic value.

The exterior of Kronborg Castle has always been well maintained and considerable efforts have been made to ensure its authenticity in terms of design, choice of construction material, and craftsmanship. Continual restoration of the castle’s facades is carried out, including the carving of replicas of the unique sandstone ornaments. All the work on the castle is undertaken with respect for the original choices of building materials and designs.

Protection and management requirements

Kronborg Castle and the surrounding fortifications belong to the Danish State. The castle and the adjoining fortress are listed buildings and protected in accordance with the Preservation of Buildings Act and the Museum Act. This means that all changes must be approved by the Danish Agency for Culture. The castle and its fortress are managed by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties in the Ministry of Culture.

With a view to strengthening the protection of Kronborg Castle, Elsinore City Council and the Danish Agency for Culture joined forces and drew up a final agreement on the buffer zone and the establishment of view corridors. The agreement was implemented in an addendum to the municipal plan, which was approved April 2011. The town plan of the Elsinore Municipality outlines the main features of the city’s development and the framework for the district plan.

The management plan for Kronborg Castle has been prepared and addresses the long term threats against Kronborg. These are mainly building and ground decay, as a result of lack of maintenance, climate or due to fire. These threats are identified and prevented through inspection, maintenance and monitoring, which are carried out by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties. Although Kronborg is a robust fortress, more visitors may cause an increase in the wear and vandalism. This potential threat is addressed through information and guidance for the visitors, electronic and physical surveillance and an increased focus on maintenance. The management plan is regularly reviewed

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Kronborg Castle - UNESCO World Heritage

Drama-packed Kronborg is one of Northern Europe’s finest Renaissance castles. 

Only a few places in the world are surrounded by as much drama and history as Kronborg Castle. It is world-famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In Elsinore, with views across to Sweden, you find the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet facing the Sound. Once the home of kings and queens, a fortified castle with bastions and cannon batteries that controlled the water in the narrowest point between Sweden and Denmark, the castle's history is fascinating. Discover Frederik II's sumptuous ballroom, enjoy the magnificent tapestries and say hello to the mythical figure of Holger the Dane in the basement deep below the castle.

The history of Kronborg 

Kronborg Castle dates back to 1420 when Eric of Pomerania built Krogen, a fortress that was to control the entrance to Oresund and collect the lucrative Sound Dues from the passing ships. The Sound dues played an important role in Elsinore for more than 400 years. While t he money went to the King, the trade, in connection with the Sound dues, made the town wealthy and famous all over the world.

Between 1574 and 1585, Frederik II built the sumptuous renaissance castle, Kronborg Castle, as a strong symbol of wealth and power. The Sound dues financed the towers and steeples, copper roofs, and sandstone ornaments. During the great period of Kronborg Castle in the late 16th century, sailors, businessmen, diplomats and aristocrats spoke of the magnificent castle and court in Elsinore with its pomp and splendor.

Kronborg Castle was ravaged by a devastating fire in 1629 which only left the chapel intact. Christian IV reconstructed the castle with extensive new Baroque decorations, however, in 1658 another accident hit Kronborg when the Swedes bombed and occupied and took many precious art treasures as booty.

Kronborg was fortified as a fortress with Kroneværket by Christian V in 1690, but since then the castle has virtually not been inhabited by royals. From 1785 until 1923, the castle was used by the military, and not until then it was thoroughly restored and returned to the greatness of Frederik II and Christian IV.

Did Shakespeare ever visit Kronborg?

Shakespeare used Kronborg when he wrote his immortal play about the king's son Hamlet and today, in the rest of the world, the castle is better known as Hamlet's Castle. No one knows for sure whether Shakespeare ever visited Kronborg Castle, but he certainly heard the rumors of the decadent lifestyle of the court. It was documented that British players visited Kronborg several times during Shakespeare's time. These days, a Shakespeare Festival takes place at Kronborg Castle every August with open-air theatre and the castle as a backdrop.

UNESCO World Heritage

UNESCO inscribes monuments, buildings, cultural landscapes and natural areas as a world heritage when they hold an exceptional value to humanity and need to be protected. Kronborg Castle entered UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2000. Several other Danish attractions are registered at UNESCO's World Heritage, eg the Par Force Hunting Landscape in North Zealand.

Events in and around Kronborg

After your visit to Kronborg Castle, you could:

• Explore Elsinore's richly colored, old streets
• Enjoy international street food at Værftet's food market
• Experience maritime cultural heritage at the M / S Museum of Denmark
• Meet the sea animals in Oresund at the Øresund Aquarium
• Sail out on Oresund and enjoy a nice dinner with ForSea

Get more information about what you may experience and see in Elsinore

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Kronborg Castle

Kronborg is a functional castle that was actively used by the military until 1992. The castle has seen war and invasions that have left their mark. What you see now is not a beautifully decorated and lavish interior, but a functional one that tells the story of how Kronborg has been in constant use since the 1400s. From Kronborg, you can easily see across the Sound to Sweden, which it was built to guard.

Made to show Denmark’s wealth, with a copper roof spanning the entire castle and all walls covered in expensive sandstone, Kronborg shone like a beacon at the entrance to the Sound. Now the copper roof is beautifully patinated, and the walls tell the story of the brittle sandstones erosion through the ages. You will be awestruck by the beauty as guests were over 200 years ago. Inside Kronborg, sparsely decorated rooms provide insight into how life was really lived. There are also traces of decadence, like the rare and imported Chinese porcelain that adorns the castle.

Down in the casemates, you can either guide yourself by the sparse candlelight or bring a torch as you carefully make your way across the uneven ground, where the kings’ soldiers lived and where the dungeons were. The dark underground experience under the castle gives a unique and different view of how life was for the soldiers and prisoners at Kronborg, providing a markedly different castle experience from anywhere else.

90 DKK in low-season and 140 DKK in high-season, including both regular and dramatised tours by Horatio or The Mistress of the Robes.

Kronborg Castle in Helsingør – Information for Visitors

By: Author Swedish Nomad

Posted on Last updated: April 24, 2020

Categories Denmark

Home / Europe / Denmark / Kronborg Castle in Helsingør – Information for Visitors

Kronborg Castle ( Danish: Kronborg Slot ) is one of the most impressive Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and one of the best places to visit in Denmark!

Home to royal chambers, a grand banquet hall, and with strong ties to William Shakespeare this 16th-century castle offers an insight into the country’s regal history.

Here’s a complete guide for visitors with information about entrance fees, opening hours, history and facts about Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. 

Ticket Info

The cost of general admission to the castle varies depending on the time of year but tickets can be booked online or on the day all year round. If you’re attending during the summer months (June, July, August), it’s recommended to pre-book tickets online to avoid queues at the ticket office.

Photo: Dennis Jacobsen / Shutterstock.com

Opening hours

• January – April: Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 4pm
• May – September: Daily 10am – 5pm
• October – December: Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 4pm

*Note that opening times can vary during school holidays and over Christmas and New Year. The castle is closed on December 24th, 25th, 31st, and January 1st.

History & more information

Kronborg Castle is a renaissance stronghold, and UNESCO World Heritage Site, found in the town of Helsingor in Denmark. The castle, which was built between 1574 and 1585, holds a strategic position between the North Sea and the Baltic.

The castle is best known for being re-imagined by William Shakespeare in the play Hamlet. The original use of the castle, before King Frederick II radically transformed the fortress into a Renaissance Castle, was to control the entrance to the Baltic Sea.

Photo: Andrey Shcherbukhin/Shutterstock

When Frederick took over, the castles working role diminished and it quickly became more palace-like. In 1629 a fire broke out and heavily damaged the fortification and much of the castle had to be reconstructed.

Today the castle still stands strong on the narrow promontory between the coasts of Denmark and Sweden, overlooking the surrounding land from its vantage point.

Photo: Jolanta Wojcicka / Shutterstock.com

Visitors of the castle can explore the West Wing, the Banquet Hall, and the Apartments which are adorned with Nerthlandish furniture from the 17th century, ceiling paintings, and more.

Due to the castles tie to Shakespeare, guests who time their visit well could land on a live performance of Hamlet which takes place in the courtyard multiple times over the summer.

Photo: Maria_Janus / Shutterstock.com

Points of Interest

The royal apartments.

On the first floor of the castle’s north wing sits the Royal Apartments which were originally furnished by King Frederick II in 1576!

The castle’s chapel sits in the south wing and boasts Renaissance interiors and woodcarvings.

The Great Ballroom

Head to the north wing of the castle and you’ll find the Great Ballroom / Knights Hall. The ballroom was once the largest hall in Northern Europe.

Little Hall

The Little Hall is adorned with tapestries portraying 100 Danish kings. The tapestries were commissioned by King Frederick II in 1580.

The castle’s west wing is home to more impressive tapestries.

Photo: Lepneva Irina/Shutterstock

How to get to Kronborg Castle

The castle is 46 kilometers from Copenhagen and the drive takes just under an hour by car. The castle car park sits on the corner of Nordhavnsvej and Kronborgvej and is just a five-minute walk from the castle.

Parking costs £1 per hour. Parking for the disabled is located to the left of the castle yard’s entrance.

From Copenhagen, take a train from Central Station to the town of Helsingor (Elsinore) and walk from here to the castle. The train ride takes 45-minutes and the walk is roughly 15-20-minutes from the train station in Helsingør.

For those traveling from Malmö or other parts of southern Sweden, you can also take a direct train to Helsingør. 

If you’re coming from Southern Sweden, you can take the ferry from Helsingborg to Helsingør, which takes just 20 minutes. 

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Kronborg castle is in the summer months of June, July, and August when the castle puts on a number of live performances of Hamlet.

Note, this period is particularly busy so expect crowds. If you’d prefer to skip the performances and avoid the crowds, consider visiting in the shoulder seasons which run from February – May, and from September – November.

With that said, the castle is best enjoyed on a sunny day, which is most likely to happen during the summer months.

Photo: Stig Alenas / Shutterstock.com

Facts about Kronborg Castle

• Previously known as “Krogen”, or “The Hook”, the castle was built in the 1420s by Eric of Pomerania, who was the Danish king at the time.
• In 1629, a fire destroyed much of the castle (except for The Chapel, which maintained its original altar, gallery, and pews) needed to be reconstructed, but could never fully be restored to the majestic beauty it once was.
• Kronborg Castle is the place where William Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet is supposed to have happened.
• The castle is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Helsingør , and it costs approximately $14 (U.S) for an adult to visit the castle; the price increases in the summer when it is busier.
• From 1738 to the 1900s the castle was used as a prison. Violent or “dishonest” criminals were forced to serve their time doing hard labor inside the walls of the castle, but inmates who were deemed “honest” ones, with minor convictions, were allowed to work outside.
• The castle ballroom, completed in 1582, was the largest hall in Northern Europe. It includes several large paintings originally made from 1618-1631 by a handful of artists.
• The castle is elevated 39 feet above sea level on the island of Zealand, located in the northeast of Denmark, as seen in the map on the right.
• The King’s Chamber was located directly above the main entrance to the castle, so he could keep an eye on visitors passing through.
• In the original castle, the floors had black and white tiles but were replaced with wooden floorboards in 1760.
• Moats and gates protect the route from nearby towns to the castle.

Photo: valeriiaarnaud / Shutterstock.com

FAQ’s (Things to know before you go)

How long should I set aside to visit Kronborg Castle?

Two hours should be sufficient to browse but those keen for an in-depth look at the castle’s history should allow 3 or more hours.

Is the castle wheelchair accessible?

There is good access to the castle courtyard but it’s not possible to move around inside with wheelchairs and buggies.

Can I bring my luggage inside Kronborg Castle?

Bags and luggage larger than 35 x 15 x 30 must be left in the cloakroom. Small handbags and day bags that can easily be carried on the body are permitted.

Is there WiFi?

Free wifi is available in the castle. You can use it to listen to stories about the castle’s main rooms by scanning the QR codes found on the window sills.

How old is the castle in Helsingør?

The original castle was built in the 15thcentury but the castle you see today underwent major renovations in the 17th century.

How far is Kronborg Castle from Copenhagen?

46 kilometers.

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are not allowed inside Kronborg Castle but are free to roam outside the castle grounds. 

Do you have more questions before visiting Kronborg Castle in Helsingør? Leave a comment below!

Kronborg Castle: Explore Hamlet’s Castle in Elsinore, Denmark

Whether you’re a Shakespeare fan or you simply love historic castles, you should add Kronborg Castle in Elsinore to your list.

In this post, I’ll explain where Kronborg is, how to get there, what to see, and – of course – what the connection to Hamlet is.

This post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my disclosures .

Kronborg Castle: Quick Facts

Where is kronborg castle.

Kronborg Castle is located in the Danish city of Helsingør, usually called Elsinore in English. The castle overlooks the Øresund (the Sound), a strait separating Denmark and Sweden.

In Helsingør, at the northeastern tip of the Danish island of Zealand, the Øresund is at its most narrow. It is only 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide.

This means that you can see Sweden from Kronborg Castle. It also means that the castle, with its impressive array of cannons, was able to control ships moving through the Sound.

And this prime location is the reason that the castle is so important.

A Brief History

King Eric VII built a fortress called Krogen (“the Hook”) on the site in the 1420s. Then King Frederik II expanded it into a Renaissance castle in the 1570s and 1580s and called it Kronborg (“Crown Castle”).

The Danish kings instituted a toll, the Sound Dues, on all foreign ships passing through the Sound. Since the Sound is one of the main waterways connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, there were a lot of ships.

The kings made a lot of money off the Sound Dues. So you can see why maintaining control of Kronborg Castle was important!

Frederick II and his wife Sophie lived in the castle and threw wild and sumptuous parties. Their fame spread all over Europe and inspired William Shakespeare to set his play Hamlet at Kronborg. But more about that below!

Getting to Kronborg Castle

It is quite easy to get to Helsingør by train. If you are coming from Copenhagen , then you can catch a direct regional train from Copenhagen Central Station (København H).

Trains run every 15 minutes. Simply consult the overhead screens at the station to determine which platform you should go to. Helsingør is the last stop, so look for “Helsingør” on the screens.

If you have the Copenhagen Card , no need to pay or check in. Just hop on board and then show your card if train staff ask for it. But if you do not have an active Copenhagen Card, you will need to purchase a ticket at the station.

The ride will take about 45 minutes. When you step outside Helsingør Station, bronze statues of Hamlet and Ophelia greet you.

Kronborg Castle itself is also visible in the distance, so you won’t get lost. It’s a 10-15 minute walk, depending on your pace.

The easy access via train makes Kronborg an excellent day trip from Copenhagen. Note: if you are coming from somewhere other than Copenhagen, use this incredibly helpful site to find the best train route.

Tips for Visiting Kronborg Castle

• Admission price : DKK 125 for adults, free for children under 18; free with the Copenhagen Card
• Castle opening hours : 10:00 – 5:00 daily from May to October; otherwise 11:00 – 4:00 Tuesday through Sunday
• Parking : DKK 14 per hour, 10-minute walk from the castle
• Wifi : yes (although it didn’t work well for me)
• Cloakroom : free lockers are available for coats and bags
• Visit Kronborg’s official website

You will cross the castle moat via a bridge and then walk through a gate in the outer defensive wall. Note that there are restrooms immediately to your left, inside the wall. They are easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them. Don’t worry – more restrooms are available inside the castle itself.

If you have the Copenhagen Card, you can head straight for the castle entrance. Otherwise you need to stop at the ticket office. They will give you a handy map along with your ticket.

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At the castle entrance you can scan your ticket and then head inside to explore. The coatroom is immediately to your right when you enter. We happily locked up our backpacks so we didn’t have to carry them around everywhere.

Pro Tip: Free guided tours are offered daily year-round in Danish or English. We didn’t take a tour because the times didn’t work out for us, but they sound excellent. The tour times for each day are listed on the black chalkboard immediately inside the castle courtyard.

Food & Drink: The castle itself has a café, but if you want a more substantial meal you can head to Kadetten. This restaurant is within the outer wall and the moat; it’s about a 5-minute walk from the castle. I had a delicious smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwich) there.

What To See At Kronborg Castle

Kronborg has various rooms open to the public. You can also walk around the battlements and the surrounding land. Here are some of the best things to do at Kronborg!

Visit the Royal Apartments

The Royal Apartments suffered greatly in a great fire in 1629, so they have mostly lost their original sumptuous decorations. But you can see 7 of the royal tapestries originally commissioned by Frederick II.

You can walk through rooms where the 14-year-old Danish princess Anna and her new husband James VI of Scotland stayed after their wedding in 1589. They would later become king and queen of England after Queen Elizabeth died childless.

The castle also served as a gilded prison in 1772 for the disgraced Danish Queen Caroline Mathilde. She was accused of having an affair with her husband’s physician and was promptly exiled and divorced. (In the past Danish queens had numerous supposed affairs, and Danish kings tended toward insanity.)

Admire the Chapel

The chapel survived the fire that ruined the Royal Apartments. This means that here you can get a glimpse of the original Renaissance decoration.

Pay special attention to the coffered wooden ceiling when you enter the chapel. The Royal Apartments once had this beautifully carved decoration, too!

Explore the Casemates

My favorite part of Kronborg Castle is underneath. Today Denmark and Sweden are at peace, but in the past the two Scandinavian countries waged bitter wars for control.

Kronborg was an important part of Danish protection, and for this reason under the castle you can find the casemates. These rooms and tunnels served as living quarters for soldiers during a siege and as a place to store weapons and food.

Descend into the dark tunnels and wander around, imagining what life would have been like for a 16th or 17th-century castle inhabitant. And – most importantly – say hi to Holger the Dane.

Pay Respects to Holger the Dane

In the casemates sits Holger the Dane, a great Danish hero. He is asleep now, but when Denmark is in danger he will arise again to save his country.

Holger the Dane is the first thing you see when you enter the casemates. A life-sized statue shows a mighty warrior seated with his sword across his lap. Lights flicker and in the eerie underground, it is easy to believe that he is simply sleeping.

Holger the Dane is a major part of Danish legend, but it was not until 1846 that he became associated with Kronborg. Hans Christian Andersen wrote a tale about him and his fated return.

[The little boy] saw in his dreams the Sound and Elsinore Castle with old Holger the Dane sitting down in the dark cellar, where he dreamed about everything that happened in all of Denmark. . . . Holger mumbled in his sleep, where he nodded his head: “Yes, do not forget me, Danes. Remember me! I will come when you are in need.” Hans Christian Anderson, “Holger the Dane”, trans. Haugaard

You can read the full fairytale in this anthology of Andersen’s stories . But whether you know the story or not, Holger the Dane will impress you. The current statue has stood under the castle for over 100 years.

Admire the View from the Battlements

After you have explored the inside of the castle, it’s time to walk around outside . Turn right when you exit the castle entrance and head up to the battlements.

A row of cannons sits there, a reminder that Kronborg enforced payment of the Sound Dues by ships passing through the strait. But, more importantly, you can receive a lovely view of the sound and of Sweden across the water.

When we were there, we also saw people fishing in the sound and locals walking and exercising all around the castle. You have to pay to enter the castle itself, but the surrounding grounds and island are accessible to the general public.

As I walked around the outer walls, I thought about Hamlet and his encounter with his father’s ghost. And this leads me to the next section of this post.

Hamlet & Kronborg Castle

Although Kronborg is historic in its own right, a great deal of the attention the site receives comes from the association with Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet .

Shakespeare tells the tale of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and the play takes place at Kronborg Castle. You may ask: why is Kronborg Hamlet’s castle? Is Hamlet a true story? Here are your answers.

Was Hamlet real?

Hamlet is based on the Danish prince Amleth. Amleth likely wasn’t a real person, but he was part of Danish legend. The primary account of his adventures comes from the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, who wrote 16 books in Latin about the history of Denmark.

This work, the Gesta Danorum or History of the Danes , is still an important source for historians and lovers of Norse mythology. It dates to the early 13th century, and the story of Amleth is possibly centuries older.

In Saxo Grammaticus’ version, Amleth is the son of the king of Jutland (a peninsula now part of modern Denmark). His uncle Feng kills his father and marries his mother, Gerutha. Amleth pretends to be a fool in order to protect himself, but meanwhile he plans his uncle’s death.

It is easy to see where Shakespeare got his basic plot. We don’t know if he had access to Saxo Grammaticus himself, but French and English adaptations were circulating in Shakespeare’s time.

If you are interested in the origins of Hamlet , take a look at The Norse Hamlet . This book includes the Amleth portions of Saxo Grammaticus as well as an English adaptation of Amleth’s story.

Why is Kronborg Hamlet’s castle?

In the earliest Danish accounts, Amleth is prince of Jutland. And Kronborg Castle is on the island of Zealand. Not to mention that Kronborg Castle wasn’t built until the 16th century – hundreds of years after Amleth supposedly lived.

So it is safe to say that Amleth, the legendary Danish figure, did not reside at Kronborg. Why, then, does Shakespeare choose Kronborg to be Hamlet’s castle?

As I mentioned earlier in this post, King Frederick II of Denmark expanded Kronborg greatly in the late 16th century. He and his queen then proceeded to host parties famed all over Europe.

It seems that Shakespeare heard about these parties and decided that Kronborg was the perfect setting for the tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. He wrote Hamlet sometime between 1599 and 1601 . . . and the rest is history.

Scholars believe that Shakespeare himself never visited Kronborg, but that many of his actors did. So Shakespeare likely received first-hand accounts of the Danish royal castle.

Although Amleth had no connection to Kronborg, Shakespeare’s Hamlet has always resided there. And that’s why Kronborg is a must-visit site for drama-lovers!

Plan Your Visit To Kronborg Castle

Now you know how to get to Kronborg and what to do there. You also know why this castle is considered to be Hamlet’s. So, what are you waiting for? Add Kronborg to your list.

This historic castle has played an important role in Danish history (and in world literature). This has earned it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Plus it has a gorgeous location on the strait between Denmark and Sweden. What’s not to like?

Looking for other European destinations? Visit my Explore Europe page!

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I will definitely have to put this on my bucket list after looking at all these recommendations; brilliant article!

I’m so glad you enjoyed the article, Ella! I hope you have a chance to visit Kronborg 🙂

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Hamlet’s Castle in Denmark: A Visit to Kronborg Slot

Did you know that Hamlet’s Castle is an actual place you can visit in Denmark? Kronborg Castle is less than an hour’s drive from Copenhagen, making it an easy day trip from Copenhagen and a must-visit for anyone interested in literary travel.

Shakespeare fans, there are many pilgrimages for you to take on your Shakespeare Travel Bucket List (including some Shakespeare sites in the US !) but today I’m here to add one more. Denmark’s Kronborg Castle in Helsingor is a real-life Hamlet castle and one location not to miss for its literary and historical significance. In fact, Kronborg has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As a side note, I’d call it a pretty ballsy move on Shakespeare’s part to set his play at Kronborg Castle, considering historians can find no evidence that Shakespeare ever actually visited the castle. It’s akin to Emily Dickinson writing poems about the ocean when she really never left her apartment. So much for “write what you know!” Ah, well, it seems to have worked out for both of them. Let’s continue.

Read on to learn what you can see at Kronborg Castle, how to watch Hamlet AT Hamlet’s Castle, tips for visiting, how to get to Kronborg Castle, and another major literary connection you’ll find in the basement!

And don’t forget to pin this post for later:

In This Post

As always, this post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, shopping from them may generate small commissions to support the operations of this blog.

Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org , because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.

What is Hamlet About?

If you’ve never managed to read or watch a production of Hamlet (it is, after all, Shakespeare’s longest work), here are the basics: Hamlet’s father, the King of Denmark, has been killed. After getting tipped off by his dead father’s ghost, Hamlet comes to suspect his Uncle Claudius, of being responsible for his death. Claudius doesn’t exactly exude innocence, having taken on his brother’s throne and his wife, Gertrude, along with it.

In many ways, it’s a classic tale of revenge, and yet Hamlet spends the vast majority of the play wondering if his uncle is really guilty, trying unsuccessfully to trick him into confessing, and musing on the meaning of life and the nature of madness.

Apart from Hamlet’s numerous soliloquies, the secondary characters and their plot lines are quite rich. Let’s take Ophelia, for example. The tragic Ophelia loves Hamlet but, suffering at the hands of Hamlet’s likely feigned madness descends into a genuine madness herself, pushed over the edge by Hamlet’s famous explosion at her, “Get thee to a nunnery!” (and maybe his accidental murdering of her father contributed as well).

This father is quite the character, too: Polonius is the character who speaks many of the famous adages even non-Shakespeare readers will recognize, such as “To thine own self be true,” and “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”

Ghosts, murder, unrequited love, revenge, madness. It might be 4+ hours long, but this play is famous for good reason!

Hamlet is based on a Norse legend, though the exact source is still debated. Shakespeare’s theatrical rendition of the legend gained popularity immediately after he first wrote it for his acting troupe, the Chamberlain’s Men, in 1600 or 1601. Its popularity has hardly been flagged since. Famous actors and actresses have vied for roles in the play since Shakespeare’s own time.

Related: Did you know the only full-scale replica of Shakespeare’s first theatre, the Blackfriar’s Theatre, is in the US ?

Visiting Hamlet’s Castle: Kronborg Slot

Although in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet’s castle is called Elsinore, Kronborg Slot is the name of the real Hamlet Castle, which you can tour in an easy day trip from Copenhagen.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark Marcellus, in Hamlet, Act I Scene IV

After visiting the opulent nearby Fredericksborg Castle, the best word I could use to describe Kronborg by comparison is, “understated.” This is not a castle with artwork and adornments covering every square inch of wall or ceiling, like many other royal palaces. By comparison, it’s rather modest.

In fact, as the convenient placards explain in both English and Danish, the royal families who spent time in this castle would economize by carrying their dishes and silverware from one castle to the next. Practically impoverished, right?

Denmark’s Kronborg Castle is a military fortress turned into a palace. Having visited quite a few castles in my time, I’d say something that makes this castle stand out from among others is how well it informs tourists of the day-to-day life of the royals who lived there. Placards throughout the castle highlight how they lived in and used each room, and give specific information about the royal family’s history.

All in all, Hamlet’s Castle absolutely gets my personal recommendation. Go on and roam the halls wondering if you should be or not be (maybe skip musing whether or not to kill your uncle, though. Odds are, he’s probably nice).

Here are some highlights from my favorite rooms and areas of Kronborg Castle that you won’t want to miss on your visit:

The King’s Chamber

Decorated relatively simply with painted ceilings, this room was one of the most important in the castle. It’s where the king would hold important meetings about the future of Denmark with his trusted advisors as well as the occasional party with his buddies.

From the bay window, the king could look down at the front door of the castle to see who was arriving (like a dignified, pre-technology Ring doorbell, with a much more impressive view).

Shakespeare fans can imagine King Claudius plotting the death of his nephew, Hamlet, with his advisors, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in this room. You can also imagine Polonius’s speeches dragging on and on and on during his advisory visits (though “since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief,” he would have first assured them).

The Ballroom/Throne Room

Once the largest ballroom in Northern Europe, it’s hard to capture the magnitude of this room in pictures or words. It’s over 200 feet long and 40 feet wide, but suffice it to say, it feels large enough to host a full-scale football match.

When Kronborg Castle was occupied by the royal family, this room served as a storage room for fruits and vegetables, dried meat, and even building materials when they weren’t actively entertaining. However, on the occasion that a feast or ball would be held, this room would really shine.

An enormous table would be placed down the center of the room around which guests were seated for an impressive many-course feast. Centerpieces on the table would’ve been a boar’s head or a stuffed peacock or the like. And the party would last for days!

I like to imagine that this might have been the room in which the culminating action occurs in Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Act 5 Scene 2, aka the scene in which Hamlet finally does something after all that pondering. When you visit, you can picture the famous ending (spoiler alert), in which Hamlet and Laertes duel before the court, Queen Gertrude gets (accidentally) poisoned to death, Hamlet kills his uncle King Claudius as well as Laertes, and then dies as well (tell my story!).

When a fire destroyed much of Kronborg Castle in 1629, the Chapel was one of the only rooms to be spared. The pews, decorative panels, gallery, and altar are all original (though for a while, the furniture was moved out to use this room as a gymnasium while the castle functioned as an army barracks).

When visiting this room of Hamlet’s Castle, you can picture Claudius falling to his knees to pray, guilt-ridden at having killed his brother. Imagine Hamlet, hiding behind a pillar. He has come with the intention of avenging his father but decides to wait; if he kills Claudius during his prayer, then Claudius will go to heaven. Hamlet decides to wait to kill him while he’s sinning so that Claudius will spend eternity in hell. Logic!

The Casemates

While certainly not the dream destination of a claustrophobic person, the casemates of Kronborg Castle are both creepy and interesting to visit. You can walk your way around this maze of gloomy, low-ceilinged passageways where soldiers have hidden for weeks on end while the castle is under siege.

While you’re down there, check out another literary landmark: the statue of Holger the Dane, or Holger Danske. Who was Holger the Dane, you ask? Holger (also spelled Ogier) is a figure prominent in Danish mythology. The legendary stories of Holger the Dane have made him a national hero in Denmark.

Holger Danske’s tales date back to the 11th century, and legend has it that he awaits here in the basement of Kronborg Castle and will awaken should the time come that he is needed once again to defend Denmark.

This makes Kronborg a literary travel destination for another reason in addition to Hamlet. Holger not only features in oral myths but Hans Christian Andersen also wrote a fable called Holger Danske :

But the most beautiful sight of all is old Kronborg, and in a deep, dark cellar beneath it, where no one ever goes, sleeps Holger Danske. He is clad in iron and steel and rests his head on his strange arms; his long beard hangs down over the marble table and has grown through it. He sleeps and dreams, and in his dreams he sees all that happens here in Denmark. Every Christmas Eve one of God’s angels comes to him and tells him that what he had dreamed is true; he may sleep again, for no real peril threatens Denmark. But should real danger come, old Holger Danske will rise in his fury, and the table itself will burst as he wrenches his beard from it, and the mighty blows he strikes for Denmark will be heard throughout the world. Hans Christian Andersen

Climbing up the narrow steps to Kronborg Castle’s roof rewards you with stunning views. From up here, you can see all the way to Sweden (and understand the strategic advantage of having a stronghold at this particular location). Here, the channel between the two countries is only 4 km (2.5 miles) wide.

Spend some time up here enjoying the breeze, and take heed lest a ghostly visitor should come to you as he did to Hamlet and the castle guards in Act I, asking you to avenge his death. (While it might not have been the roof of Hamlet’s castle where that scene takes place, walking around up here it does seem like just the spot where it could happen).

Travel Tip: When I’m visiting anywhere in Europe, Rick Steves is my favorite guidebook to use. You can find one on Copenhagen and the best of Denmark , or this Rick Steves book on Scandinavia that includes Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Estonia. Always make sure to buy the most recent edition of this or any guidebook, because you don’t want to plan your trip with out-of-date information, particularly in the post-COVID travel world.

Watch Hamlet at Kronborg Castle

When you’ve got a Renaissance castle in which the most famous playwright of all time sets one of the most famous plays of all time, of course, you can expect to find some live theater performances there. Specifically, you can see the story. of Hamlet reenacted in Hamlet’s castle!

Every summer from June until August, Kronborg Castle hosts “ Hamlet’s Wonderful World ” daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. While I got there in October and missed seeing this, it sounds like a lot of fun. Each famous scene of the play is performed in various locations as the actors move the play around the castle and its grounds.

When they are not performing, the characters move about the castle carrying on with their ordinary lives and interacting with visitors. It’s less of a chronological retelling than a living reenactment of the story in which visitors take part.

Live productions of Hamlet have been taking place every August here for two hundred years. In fact, it is the oldest continuous Shakespeare performance in the world. In 1937, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh starred as Hamlet and Ophelia and really set a trend for other big-name actors to join in future years.

Additionally, a movie version of the play by the BBC starring Christopher Plummer was shot at Kronborg Castle in 1963.

Travel tip: Before your visit, make sure to check the Kronborg Castle website for the most up-to-date information on seeing Hamlet at Kronborg Castle, as COVID may have changed the normal operations of this annual summer event.

Related: Traveling elsewhere in Europe? Amsterdam is a short flight from Copenhagen. Check out my list of the best Amsterdam bookshops to visit while you’re there.

Tips for visiting Kronborg Castle

Tickets for kronborg castle.

Tickets can be pre-purchased online or bought in person at their box office.

Ticket prices change depending on which season you come and cost more during Hamlet’s Wonderful World. Children under 18 are free year-round. There is a discount for students showing an ID.

Feel free to book tickets online in advance to skip the ticket line. Even if you’re unsure on your exact dates, tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase (except June, July, and August due to Hamlet’s Wonderful World).

Getting to Kronborg Castle:

By car : Take about a 30-minute drive from Copenhagen on the E47 highway or the longer but more scenic coastline drive. Check car rentals on Kayak.

Travel tip: Kronborg Castle is only about 30 minutes from the famous and beautiful Fredericksborg Castle. If you want a full day, you can visit one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

By train : Take a train from Copenhagen’s Central Station to Helsingor (45 min), then take a 15-20 minute walk to the castle. Check public transportation options on Omio .

By tour company: A number of local tour companies will take you to Kronborg Castle so you don’t have to worry about transportation.

Tours at Kronborg Castle

Types of tours available : Self-guided tours using the brochure at the front office or guided tours (included in ticket price) available. Check the website for current guided tour times.

Information for families : Because you can do a self-guided tour and most furniture and valuables are roped off, I’d say this is an okay tour to bring children to.

Languages : Plaques throughout the castle give information in English and Danish. During Hamlet’s Wonderful World, the characters speak in English.

Where to Stay Near Kronborg Castle

If your priority is to stay as close to Kronborg castle as possible, you can’t get much closer than the Hotel Hamlet , which offers affordable, clean, no-frills rooms and is popular with guests. This hotel is only a 10-minute walk from the beautiful Hamlet Castle.

As you look for somewhere to stay, I recommend checking for lodging on Hotels.com . I almost always book my accommodations through Hotels.com , because you can earn rewards for every night you stay without having to choose only one hotel chain to be loyal to. You can even book locally owned apart hotels and bed and breakfasts.

If you’re looking for privately owned vacation rentals, I recommend checking VRBO. I’ve personally had much better experiences with their owners and rentals than I have with their primary competitor.

Travel Resources At-A-Glance

All of the following are links to sites and services I actually use to book and plan my travel or to purchase books or travel gear.

For flights : Skyscanner is my number one go-to resource for booking flights. I love using the “explore” function to find the cheapest places I can fly during a given time or using the fare calendar to identify the cheapest days to fly.

For hotels and lodgings : For hotels, hotels.com , and for vacation rentals, VRBO.com . I’ve had much better experiences with private rentals through this website than through other popular private vacation rental websites.

For car rentals : Kayak allows comparisons across a wide range of booking agencies and lists reviews of companies as well. I’ve found this to be the most user-friendly and efficient way to compare car rental prices.

For tours & excursions : Viator and Get Your Guide are my top choices for booking excursions and tour experiences in a new destination.

For travel gear : Amazon.com and REI for more outdoorsy items. Check out my travel gear recs here.

For booking trains & buses : I find the Omio app and website to be the most easily navigable for comparing options for public transportation, especially in Europe,

Best travel credit card : My favorite travel rewards credit card for European travel has been the Chase Sapphire Rewards card . Visa is accepted just about everywhere in Europe, and there are no foreign transaction fees on the card. Some of the travel benefits I love on the Chase Sapphire include free TSA pre-check or Global Entry (worth it every time), an annual $200 travel credit, an annual $200 hotel benefit, built-in rental car, and trip insurance, and points are worth 50% more when used to book travel. I travel around Europe a LOT, and I end up with many free flights and hotel stays from using my points on my Chase Sapphire.

For books : Bookshop.org often has prices as good as Amazon or sometimes better, but profits go to indie bookstores all over the country. Whenever possible, consider buying your books from this online indie bookshop resource.

Well, that’s just about everything you need to know about visiting Hamlet’s castle in Denmark, the iconic Kronborg Castle.

What other destinations are on your literary travel bucket list? Drop them in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to get notified by email of new blog posts (I’ll never spam or sell email addresses!)

Pin this now to reference when you’re planning your next trip to Copenhagen.

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I'm Constance, an avid reader and traveler. I love tracking down the best literary sights everywhere I go, from the best indie bookstores to author's homes and fictional locations you can visit in real life. I'm also passionate about all things tea and chocolate. I have a BA in English literature and an MS in Nutrition Science.

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Kronborg Castle is the setting of Shakespeare’s play ‘Hamlet’ and the most powerful and important castle in Scandinavia. The current castle was finished in 1585. It is located on the coast at the narrowest point of the strait of Oresund with a great view across the water to Sweden. This point is the entrance to the Baltic Sea making it a strategically very important location.

The region that is today southern Sweden (Scania) has belonged to Denmark for most of history. The Danish king, therefore, also had a powerful fortress on the other side and controlled the passage in and out of the Baltic Sea. The king collected taxes from all the trade ships passing by. At times, these taxes financed more than a third of the expenses of Denmark.

The first castle

The first castle on this spot was built in the 1420s. This castle had the same dimensions as the castle you see today and many of the walls from the old castle are still visible. When they enlarged the castle, the old one was not torn down. They just built on top of it. 

The construction of the current Kronborg Castle

After winning a major war against Sweden in 1563-1570, the Danish king Frederik II enlarged Kronborg Castle. Frederik wanted a magnificent renaissance castle to demonstrate the Danish dominance of Scandinavia. Sweden had enlarged their biggest castle in Kalmar, so Frederik II, naturally, had to make sure that Kronborg Castle was larger.

The castle was renamed ‘Kronborg’ which translates to ‘Crown Castle’. The enlargement was finished in 1585 and the castle has not been changed much since then. So what you see today is basically the castle as it looked after the enlargement in 1585.

Unfortunately, Kronborg caught fire in 1629 and most of the rooms except the church had their interior destroyed. The rooms were then renovated in the 1630’s by King Christian IV. The interior decorations and the paintings in the ceilings are from that time. You will see the initials ‘C4’ all over the castle.

Conquered by the evil Swedes

Kronborg was conquered by Sweden in 1658 in a disastrous war where Denmark lost Southern Sweden and was almost wiped out as a country. (To save our national pride, it should be noted that Sweden only won because they got lucky that the sea froze over and they could walk across the ice). The Swedish army was brutal and burnt down many towns all over the country. They also pillaged the castle. Many paintings are therefore missing and are now found in castles in Sweden. The fountain in the courtyard was also taken and melted into cannon balls and church bells which is the reason why there is no fountain today.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s play ‘Hamlet’ takes place at Kronborg Castle and the nearby town of Elsinore (Helsingør in Danish).

There are speculations that Shakespeare himself could have been here. This is probably not true but at least one of his actors had been to the castle. That might be the reason why Shakespeare was able to both accurately describe the layout of Kronborg Castle and name some of the residents correctly in the play.

Kronborg Castle was already world famous before Hamlet. Sailors who had been to the Baltic Sea would have known it and a large Royal wedding between a Danish princess and the crown prince of England would also have made sure that Shakespeare knew about the castle. 

Try saying the famous quote:  “To be or not to be that is the question”  while you are at Kronborg.

Holger the Dane

Holger the Dane is a legendary warrior who appears in legends from the Viking Age. He sits in the basement (the casemates) and is a very impressive and powerful figure. If Denmark is attacked, he will wake up and fight for his country.

How to get to Kronborg Castle

It is 46 kilometers from Copenhagen to Kronborg Castle. The easiest way to get there is to take a train from the central station in Copenhagen to the town of Helsingør (Elsinore) and then walk to the castle. The train ride takes 45 minutes and the walk is another 15-20 minutes. The timetable for the trains can be found here .

Another way to get there is to join our tour the  GRAND DAY TRIP AROUND COPENHAGEN . This tour includes a full visit to Kronborg Castle as well as the other major historical sites in the Copenhagen area and it is the only way to see all of them in one day.

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Hamlet at Kronborg

Hamlet’s tragic fate is played out at the castle

400 years ago, William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. The play became the most performed drama in the world. Hamlet is the story of the Danish prince Hamlet and his tragic fate. The playwright's inspiration for the tragedy was the Danish legendary hero Amled and the magnificent castle of Kronborg. 

Shakespeare gets wind of Kronborg and its reputation for the high life

Shakespeare did not visit the castle himself, but he doubtless heard stories about the famous castle. Some of his actors very probably performed at Kronborg while they were touring Europe. They were able to tell tales about the castle's decadent court life. Kronborg was a topic of gossip at court life. The playwright was therefore able to intercept the latest rumours from the castle - perhaps from two members of the Danish nobility - Frederick Rosenkrantz and Knud Gyldenstierne. They visited London in the 1590s and met the playwright. In 1601, the drama was performed for the first time at the Globe Theatre in London. Kronborg's halls, corridors and wind-swept bastions are now part of the history of world theatre. 

From Amled in Jutland to Hamlet at Kronborg Castle

In his Danish chronicles, which date from the end of the 12th century, the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus wrote about the Jutlandic chieftain son, Amled. This man bears a number of similarities to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The story was the inspiration behind Shakespeare's work, but the playwright chose to move Hamlet from Jutland to Kronborg Castle in Elsinore. The town was a cultural hub with court life centred on the magnificent castle which was enriched by the lucrative Sound Dues.

Kronborg Castle

• Explore the Castle
• Visit Kronborg

ELECTROSTAL HISTORY AND ART MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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The history of Kronborg Castle

Historical experiences for the whole family at Kronborg Castle  

At Kronborg Castle, the whole family can meet Holger Danske, experience exciting history, take part in live guided tours with our skilled castle hosts, see changing exhibitions and immerse themselves in engaging history hunts for the whole family during all school holidays. Children have free admission.  

During your visit to Kronborg Castle, you can explore the castle with our knowledgeable castle hosts who will tell you all the things you didn't know you wanted to know. You can delve into Kronborg's significance to the Danes in the exhibition "Eternally Kronborg" with a brand new Thomas Kluge painting. During the school holidays, we have engaging story hunts for the whole family, and don't miss the popular exhibition 'Monster - ugly creatures with big feelings', developed by multi-artist Shane Brox to help children and adults talk about emotions. 

 For more than 500 years, Kronborg Castle has occupied the strategically important location at the narrowest point of the Øresund to control the entrance to the Baltic Sea. This is where Christian IV as a child ran around the castle's stairs and through the magnificent halls. And this is where Holger Danske sleeps in the casemates - ready to wake up when Denmark is in distress.   

Today, Kronborg Castle is open to the public and part of the National Museum of Denmark. Therefore, it is possible to explore the old Renaissance castle, where there are clear traces of the castle's inhabitants, such as old carvings of names in the walls, and where you can quickly sense the castle's heyday in the Dance Hall. Here, the king's parties were so grand that Kronborg Castle was known as Europe's wildest nightclub. It is said that it was these parties that inspired Shakespeare to set his world-famous play Hamlet here.  

Dutch skipper Cornelis de Jong approaches Øresund from the north with a ship loaded with spices and colonial goods. It's early morning in June, the year is 1585, and the sun is just coming up. He feels the fresh southwesterly wind on his face and senses the salty taste of the waves' foam splashing against the ship's sides. It's a beautiful morning, and there to starboard he can suddenly make out Kronborg, rising out of the horizon with its gleaming white walls, gleaming copper roofs and golden spires.

For a brief second, de Jong loses his breath. Kronborg is an impressive sight, a building that exudes both overwhelming power and exquisite elegance. De Jong shouts to the crew to fly the flag and set course for Elsinore. They must pay Øresund toll before they can sail on to customers in the Baltic. He looks once more at the just completed Prague castle. "It's been expensive, very expensive," he thinks, "I wonder if they've raised the Sundtoll again? It's happened before!" De Jong sighs and docks.

For over 400 years, Kronborg and the fortress at Elsinore were the headquarters for the collection of the Øresund toll. This began as early as the 15th century, when Erik of Pomerania built a fortress on the site, which was given the name Krogen. In addition to collecting Øresund tolls, the fortress also ensured that Denmark, as the dominant power in the Nordic region, had control over which foreign powers moved into the Baltic Sea. At that time, during the Kalmar Union, the Baltic was considered and treated as internal Danish waters.

A little over a hundred years later, in the mid-1500s, however, new weapons technology had rendered the old medieval fortress of Krogen obsolete, and the new king, Frederik II, therefore decided to modernise and make more efficient the fortifications themselves, with bastions and casemates, and at the same time a completely new and modern Renaissance castle, Kronborg, was built as a suitable setting for the new king's rapidly growing family.

The construction of Kronborg took over ten years, and went through several phases. The castle and towers were first built in red stone with sandstone friezes, but this was also the way the nobility built their estates, and in Frederik II's opinion there should be a difference between king and nobility. So Frederik II covered Kronborg's red walls completely with beautiful white sandstone from Skåne and Gotland.

The white facades of the castle combined with the reddish copper roofs and the golden towers were an impressive and showy sight for all who, like the skipper de Jong, sailed through Øresund. And the castle had cost a great deal of money to build and decorate, so over the years the Øresund toll was gradually rescheduled and raised to cover the cost. This frustrated anyone who had to cross Øresund to trade in the Baltic, but with the castle's menacing cannons aimed directly at the ships in Øresund, the sailors dared to do nothing but pay the king to sail through.

And not only did customs per ship increase, but the number of ships actually grew significantly during the 1500s, adding to the king's coffers. The Øresund toll was the king's own money, which Frederik II could use for his own projects, including Kronborg.

Kronborg became one of the finest castles of the Renaissance. Merchants, diplomats and royalty wrote of the magnificent castle and court life with pomp, pageantry and cannonballs. The tales of Kronborg reached all the way to England and inspired Shakespeare to use the castle as the setting for his drama of Hamlet.

However, the opulent court life gradually disappeared after the castle burned down in 1629, taking most of the precious furniture, paintings and copper roof. The castle was rebuilt, but in 1658 the Swedish king, Karl Gustav, occupied and plundered it, and only after intervention from European powers did Kronborg return to Danish hands in the spring of 1660.

A daytrip to Helsingør

The three main characters:.

Frederik 2.

Holger the Dane

Kronborg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Electrostal History and Art Museum

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Electrostal History and Art Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.19 mi) Elektrostal Hotel
• (1.21 mi) Yakor Hotel
• (1.27 mi) Mini Hotel Banifatsiy
• (1.18 mi) Elemash
• (1.36 mi) Hotel Djaz
• (0.07 mi) Prima Bolshogo
• (0.13 mi) Makecoffee
• (0.25 mi) Amsterdam Moments
• (0.25 mi) Pechka
• (0.26 mi) Mazhor