Welcome to Hamlet’s hometown, the idyllic Helsingor (or “Elsinore” as Shakespeare called it) in North Zealand. Visitors come to this city located 45 kilometers north of Copenhagen mainly for its royal jewel, the Kronborg Castle, the setting of William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Hamlet and the burial grounds for Denmark’s legendary hero Holger the Dane. But there is more to this historical area that dates as far back as 70 A.D.
In its early years it was a small marketplace and was founded as a town in the the 1420s by King Eric of Pomerania. The oldest church in Helsingor, St. Olav Church was built around 1200 A.D. and the Kronberg Slot (which was originally called Krogen Slot) was built in 1429. Today, the city is home to about 47,000 residents who enjoy its quaint charms and lively social activities. While the seaside Kronborg Castle remains to be its most impressive landmark, Helsingor offers a number of other equally interesting attractions worth a day trip for visitors staying in Copenhagen. Aside from medieval churches, there are also three museums in the city: the Danish Maritime Museum, the Oresund Aquarium and the Danish Museum of Science and Technology.
There is also the Helsingor Theatre which is one of Denmark’s oldest event stages and used for children and adult theatre performances. Helsingor is also known for its golden brown beaches that stretch for miles (starting from Kronborg to Strandvej) and is a popular summer destination for locals. There is also a regular antique and farmers’ market held in Axeltorv.
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