Hamlets Castle in Helsingor

This gorgeous castle on the Baltic sea is claimed by many to be one of the must-see spots in Denmark. Indeed, the place appeared exceedingly welcoming and joyful (as for a castle!) Surely, the weather played its role too. So, why is Kronborg castle also called Hamlets Castle?

Kronborg was built in the 16th century thanks to the tolls paid by foreign ships passing through the strait between Denmark and Sweden. Not only did this income contribute to the construction of the castle, but it also contributed to the development of the whole Helsingor, making it a big and powerful Danish town. Thus Kronborg became a significant culture center and the biggest castle at that time.

Shakespeare's colleagues, actors by profession, happened to be one of the numerous visitors to later  called "Shakespeare's Elsinore". Enchanted by this magnificent site, they described it to the English playwright, who decided to use this setting for his two plays: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and The Castle of Elsinore. Curiously enough, there has been no evidence that Shakespeare himself ever visited Kronborg.

Kronborg has been a setting for Hamlet, the Shakespeare's famous tragedy for many years. A great number of English actors, including Laurence Olivier or Jude Law, have come here to perform the play. 

For more interesting facts, click here:
Kronborg Castle - extra information
Kopenhagen portal - extra facts on Kronborg

As our itinerary was extremely tight, we didn't have enough spare time to do some sightseeing in the town. Therefore we only took some random pictures of Helsingor and afterwards we headed straight to the castle.

The Little Mermaid's brother

Unfortunately, our tickets included admission only to the courtyard with its chapel and casemates.

To be or not to be... an actress?

We should have been warned to take a flashlight with us because the uneven steps and corridors of the dungeons were dimly lit and there were spots where we could barely see our feet. Thus, much as I enjoyed the tour, I felt relieved after leaving the casemates. 

The statue of the sleeping Danish hero

The weather was excellent and so were the views. We strolled around the castle at our own pace. While sitting on one of the benches facing Sweden and having a lovely castle behind me I was trying to grasp these valuable and, at the same time, fleeting moments.

 Obviously, I had to capture these pretty images of Kronborg with different shots.

Overall, we probably spent 2- 3 hours there. We left the town around noon, as we were supposed to spend the rest of the day in the capital of Denmark - Copenhagen.