Elsinore - Kronborg - Hamlet
Elsinore - in Danish Helsingør. Kronborg Castle and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Helsingør, known in English as Elsinore, is a historic city on the northeastern tip of Zealand, Denmark. It lies at the narrowest point of the Øresund Strait, only 5 kilometers from the Swedish city of Helsingborg. Its most famous landmark, Kronborg Castle, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Northern Europe’s most important Renaissance castles.
Perched dramatically on the waterfront, it once guarded the strait and today stands as both a cultural icon and a reminder of Denmark’s maritime power.
Getting There from Copenhagen
Reaching Helsingør from Copenhagen is simple and scenic. From Copenhagen Central Station, frequent trains run directly to Helsingør Station. The journey takes about 45 minutes, with views of the Øresund. Find out more about public transportation here.
Maritime and Industrial History
For centuries, Helsingør thrived on its maritime location. During the Middle Ages, the city became a hub of trade because all ships entering or leaving the Baltic Sea had to pass through the narrow Øresund. Learn more about Helsingør here.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Helsingør also grew into an industrial city, most notably with the Helsingør Shipyard, one of Denmark’s largest shipyards until its closure in 1983.
The shipyard defined the city’s identity, employing thousands and producing vessels for global trade. After its closure, the area was redeveloped into the Kulturværftet, housed in the old shipyard buildings, is a vibrant cultural hub featuring concerts, theater, exhibitions, and the city library. It links Helsingør’s industrial roots with its current role as a cultural destination. In the same buildings you will also find a Street Food Area.
By the harbor sits HAN, a polished stainless-steel sculpture created in 2012. Nicknamed the “Little Merman,” it mirrors Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid but with a modern, reflective twist.
Between the habor and the Kronborg Castle you will find the M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark (M/S Museet for Søfart) in Helsingør offers a rich, immersive journey through Denmark’s maritime history from the 15th century to today. Its collection includes model ships, paintings, tools of navigation, figureheads and special exhibitions on subjects like ship-building, navigation, lifeboat services, naval wars and sailors’ lives.
Architecturally, the museum is built around and inside a former dry dock in Helsingør.) The design was done by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Visitors access the museum via ramps and bridges over the dock, and the museum wraps around the dock’s periphery in subterranean spaces.
The Sound Dues (Øresundstold)
One of Helsingør’s greatest sources of wealth came from the Øresundstold, or Sound Dues. Introduced in 1429 by King Eric of Pomerania, the toll required all foreign ships passing through the Øresund to pay a fee to the Danish crown.
Kronborg Castle was constructed to enforce and symbolize this power. The dues remained in place until 1857 and were a cornerstone of Denmark’s economy for over four centuries. The wealth funded not only the castle’s expansion but also Denmark’s influence in Northern Europe.
Kronborg and Hamlet
Kronborg Castle gained global fame through literature. It is immortalized as “Elsinore Castle” in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, written around 1600. While Shakespeare likely never visited Helsingør, he chose Kronborg as the setting for his tragedy about the Prince of Denmark, revenge, and moral conflict. Today, the castle regularly hosts performances of Hamlet, particularly during the annual Shakespeare Festival, where international theater companies bring the play to life within the castle’s walls. Standing in Kronborg’s courtyards or its dark casemates, visitors can vividly imagine Hamlet’s timeless words: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”
We recommend you to purchase the audio walk that takes you through the cozy old city of Helsingør, passing the harbor and Kronborg Castle. Find it here. If you what to visit the castle inside, check out opening hours and prices here.
By the way, if you found this page and you still did not went on our Daily Bike Tour, then I can highly recommend you to come along and Bike Copenhagen - Just like a Dane. You will learn more about the Copenhagen and Denmark too.
Sign up here, you will not regret it!