Explore Helsingor

Why visit Helsingor

Helsingør is Hamlet's town — William Shakespeare set Prince Hamlet's tragedy in "Elsinore" without ever visiting, but in doing so guaranteed Kronborg Castle a place in world literature. The Renaissance fortress, built between 1574 and 1585 by King Frederick II at the strategic narrows of the Øresund (where Denmark controlled and taxed all shipping between the North Sea and the Baltic for over 400 years), is one of the most architecturally distinguished royal castles in northern Europe and UNESCO-listed in its own right. Don't miss the eerie casemates beneath the castle where the legend of Holger Danske (Ogedan the Dane) sleeps in stone form, ready to wake when Denmark needs him. Across the courtyard, the Maritime Museum of Denmark, ingeniously built underground by Bjarke Ingels Group in a former dry dock with bridges spanning the seven-storey hole, is one of the most architecturally exciting museums in Scandinavia. The medieval old town that wraps the castle is Denmark's best-preserved Renaissance ensemble, and a 20-minute ferry takes you to Helsingborg in Sweden — a fun two-country day out.