Kronborg Castle
Add a little mystery to your summer holiday and visit Denmark's arguably most legendary castle. Kronborg Castle was the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and today Holger Danske remains in his deep sleep in the casemates. Whilst he sleeps, you can take in the surroundings of the castle - one of Northern Europe’s finest renaissance castles - which has been added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites.
Hamlet & Holger Danske live in Elsinore
Kronborg Castle - home to historical characters from both Denmark's history and Shakespeare's greatest works - is located in Zealand at the point which is the shortest distance between Denmark and Sweden.
Holger Danske slumbers in the deep, underground casemates. He has been sitting here for a long time, and if you believe the story, he'll be sitting here fast asleep until the day Denmark is threatened by enemies.
Kronborg Castle has also been home to one of the most renowned princes in literary history - Shakespeare's Danish Prince Hamlet.
Shakespeare never visited Kronborg himself but had no doubt heard the rumours of the riotous life in the castle from the many actors who performed there at the time.
Shakespeare Festival
Hamlet is the world's most frequently performed stage play. Every summer you can also experience the Shakespeare Festival in the courtyard at Kronborg Castle, where international Hamlet performances bring the story to life in the most authentic setting.
The Shakespeare Festival can be visited in June, July and August.
From Krogen to Kronborg
Before the castle stood here, Krogen stood here. Krogen was a fortification built by Erik of Pomerania in 1420 and was originally used for the collection of the Sound Tolls. At that time, menacing guns were aimed at the ships in Oresund, so sailors would not dare to pass by without paying duty to the king.
In 1574-85 Frederik II built the renaissance castle that we know today, and which in 2000 was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.