I am a lover of Shakespeare; Macbeth, Othello( Denzel and Jake this year), The Merchant of Venice…read more(saw 2x on Broadway, Al Pacino playing Sherlock and also Dustin Hoffman) and of course Shakespeare in the park. Thus, visiting Kronborg Castle was a highlight.
First a little history, Frederick 2nd became King and married his 14 year old cousin, Sophie. Scandal, nah, not in those days.He wanted to build a castle that would be the envy of Europe and thus he did, Kronborg.
Now, there are no historical facts that confirm that Shakespeare visited this castle. It is believed, the actors who performed in his plays did visit this castle and regaled William with stories and that is how Hamlet was conceived.
Next, the castle...absolutely stunning ( I would like to believe that somehow I had relatives born in this era and the castle is in my blood). There are specific points where visitors can visit: Cannon Tower( 145 steps to the beautiful scenic views and you can see Sweden from here), Castle Kitchen,Chapel, Dance Hall.
There are 45 minute tours that a guide will give you an overview of Castle and a 15 minute talk about how the Castle came to be started in the 1420's.
I participated in the 15 minute overview and the staff member really gave a great history; I didn't know that Sweden and Denmark were at war with each other for centuries.
The grounds are magnificent; there are steps to climb to get the scenic view of the sea.
There are cafes, galleries and gift shops you can visit. I spent a pretty krone on some beautiful mementos.
The entire staff were wonderful, knowledgeable and kind. Thank you!
I highly recommend visiting Kronborg Castle when you visit Denmark.
How to get here:
Fly to Denmark, take Regional Train to Helsinor station then catch bus outside station. The bus ride is 5 minutes (1st stop). Or you can walk to the Castle, around 10 minutes. Myself being a Princess, took my carriage ( Bus 353) to said castle.
Cheers!