Kronborg Slot - Hamlet's Castle in Helsingør, Denmark. Day Trip from Malmö
I'm sure you heard about Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - a well-known character from William Shakespeare's tragedy. But what you probably don't know is that the place where the tragedy is set is just about 1.5 hours away from Malmö, Sweden. The castle is called Krondborg and is located in the Danish city Helsingør, which in English translation is Elsinore, as Shakespeare calls it. This is the perfect travel idea for those excited about literature, stories, and royal castles! Legends, fairytales, and 600 years of history in one place.
This is my third inspired-by-books trip, after Selma Lagerlöf's "Nils" and Verner von Heidenstam's "The Charles Men".
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Who was the real character behind William Shakespeare's Hamlet, written between 1599 and 1601? Researchers believe that the great English poet drew his inspiration from the story of Amleth, written in Latin by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the XIII century in "Gesta Danorum" ("The Deeds of the Danes"), which was printed in 1514. The French-language version of the story of Amleth was published in 1570 by François de Belleforest, and probably Shakespeare read that one.
Amleth was the Jutlandic chieftain's son, who lived in the late XI century, but William Shakespeare set the story in the impressive castle Kronborg in Elsinore, which belonged to King Frederick II at the end of the XVI century. The castle was the subject of gossip in Europe, so Shakespeare may have heard the rumors about Kronborg, known for its great feasts.
While visiting Kronborg, you start at the same location where Shakespeare's "Hamlet" starts - in front of the entrance to the castle. There, in the castle's fortifications, the ghost of the Danish king (Hamlet's father) walks at night.In the play, Norwegians ask Claudius, the king, for permission to go through the Danish lands, which means the Öresund sound between Elsinore (Helsingør) and Helsingborg, Sweden, which at that time belonged to Denmark.
And somewhere in one of the halls of Kronborg, Hamlet died poisoned, having before killed his uncle, Claudius...
The history of Kronborg, reimagined by William Shakespeare in his great tragedy, gives an additional dimension to the visit to the castle. I'd recommend you to read the play before if you haven't read it yet.
Holger the Dane
According to the legend, the Danish national hero, Holger the Dane, is fast asleep in the gloomy casemates of Kronborg, and he will wake up if Denmark is threatened and will protect it with his sword.
It is believed that Holger the Dane founded the country of Denmark. The famous story about him was told by a great Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen, in his fairytale from 1846.
You can find the statue of Holger in Kronborg's dark dungeons, a cast of H.P. Pedersen Dan's original from 1907.
The History
The history of Kronborg began pragmatically, but then, some romantics were added. It was founded in the 1420s to control the Öresund when every ship had to pay a toll to the Danish king to sail through the Sound.
In the 1570s, the Danish king Fredrik II turned the medieval fortress into an impressive Renaissance castle. That was a place of grand parties and royal luxury. In 1572, the king married his young queen, Sophie. And as we can know from history, their marriage was one of the happiest in Europe.
Kronborg had several big renovations: by King Christian IV in 1629 after a fire, and in the 18th century during King Fredrik V.
The castle played a key role in the northern European navigation until 1857 when Sound Dues were cancelled.
Kronborg Castle was added to the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2000 and this is not surprising.
Kronborg Today
Kronborg meets you with its cheerful vibe, sea breeze, and a lot of rooms and halls to visit. There are actors dressed like courtiers from different periods of history, which you can talk to and ask questions about the relations between Denmark and your country at that period, for example.
Kronborg's cannons fire on occasions such as royal birthdays, births, deaths, and other special events.
You can climb a high tower for an incredible view of Elsinor, Öresund, and the Swedish Helsingborg. There is no elevator, by the way.
Don't forget to explore all the casemates in the dungeons. That is a very exciting and a little scary experience. Take a walk on the shore around the castle and streets between surrounding buildings.
Of course, there is a kids' playground and even a room with Lego, where kids and adults can have fun and rest.
Also, you can try some activities from the XIIX century, like playing cards or lying on the royal bed 🙂 It's royal, it's great - just enjoy your time!
📍You can take a train from Malmö to Helsingborg and then a ferry to another side of Öresund - to Danish Helsingør.
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