Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle is a Renaissance castle, built in 1574-1585 by Danish King Frederik II. It has played a significant role in the history of this part of northern Europe, because of its strategic position between the North Sea and the Baltic.
Another claim to fame is that Kronborg ('Elsinore') was the setting for Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
Visit October 2005
There are still signs of the former shipyard that is mentioned in the ICOMOS report. Although Kronborg can be seen from the train station of Helsingor, you have to cross some industrial heritage to reached its main gate.
The castle has been strongly fortified, with walls, bridges and canals that could withstand attackers.
Inside, you can visit the Maritime Museum and the Apartments. The spacious Apartments are decorated with Dutch paintings and tapestries depicting hunting scenes. The major drawcard here is the banquet hall, where a good party could be held.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
Adrian Lakomy (Slovakia; currently Czech republic):
 After reading few of the reviews i was not expecting anything special on this site, but the castle is very nice. The location is strategically very good.
The most special for me was the Maritime museum, with a lot of models of ships.
Castle Fredriksborg near is nice too (but for me a bit overdecorated) and you can see both of them if you are doing a trip from Copenhagen by train. Be sure you buy the "right" train ticket, it is always worth to buy the 10klip ticket as it is cheaper and you can combine 4*2 klips as one 8klip ticket. Ask the ladies in the counter on railstation. |
| Date posted: November 2009 |
():
I have seen Kronbourg castle only from the sea at a sailing trip, but I was very astonished. It is a very nicely situated castle. |
| |
Ingemar Eriksson (Sweden):
Once again, I agree with Paul Tanner. If nearby, I recommend a visit to Fredriksborg castle in Hillerod instead. It´s only 30 km way.
Kronborh shares the destiny of so many castles. Once magnificent, the defeated and obsolete and suffering from bad maintianance and perhaps as barracs for military.
Altough, I have seen stranger World Heritages than Kronborg |
| Date posted: June 2006 |
Paul Tanner (UK):
 Perhaps the fact that Kronborg Castle has not yet been reviewed on this site tells one something – that its Shakespearean fame as the site of Elsinore, the “Home of Hamlet” somewhat exceeds the reality of this mainly 17th century structure.
Shakespeare wrote the play around 1600 but Hamlet was a legendary figure whose “exploits” had been recorded as early as 1200CE and which probably go back to the sagas. His “connection” with Elsinore appears to have been solely in Shakespeare’s imagination. The existence of a castle at this spot goes back to at least the 12th century and a significant fortress was built around 1420 to support the levying of tolls on shipping passing through the straight. The castle however reached its greatest magnificence in 1585 (which perhaps explains Shakespeare’s use of it as a location 15 years later). The structure we see however dates from rebuilding following a fire and strengthening from 1620 to 1685. Its position (photo) is attractive enough but all I really remember of its interior was its rather large banqueting hall (Els’s review struck a chord there!). That is not to say that, as castles go, it is not worth seeing, but “of universal value”? Whatever that phrase really means, this must be pretty marginal!
Even the ICOMOS review seems somewhat concerned about building up the case for accepting the nomination and, to misquote Shakespeare’s Hamlet (III, ii, 239) itself:- “The reviewer doth protest too much methinks”!
It states “Other examples of this type exist elsewhere in Europe; however, Kronborg is of special significance by virtue of its location, which has an exceptional value in strategic, commercial, and symbolic terms. It is a symbol of the kingdom of Denmark, built to impress and to assert Danish control over ships passing through the very important seaway between the North Sea and the Baltic. It is also relevant to mention the fact it is the "Elsinore" of Hamlet, the most celebrated of Shakespeare's tragedies. Kronborg Castle is not unique: there are many contemporary Renaissance castles and palaces in Europe, such as those in the Loire Valley and in central Europe. However, its symbolic and strategic importance endows it with special significance which transcends its significance in purely art-historical terms.”
Hmmm? Unless you are a great castle enthusiast or you will only “count” a visit if you go inside the building it is probably enough to see it en passant during the ferry ride – the view from the sea in my view best captures what the site is about anyway! |
| Date posted: January 2006 |
Have you been to Kronborg Castle? Share your experiences!
Add your own review
