Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, north of Copenhagen, is one of northern Europe's finest Renaissance castles. It is located at the entrance to Øresund and was built in 1574-1585.
Kronborg Castle is probably the most famous Danish castle, known worldwide from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Hamlet's spirit is still roaming the hallways of Kronborg, and every summer you can experience Hamlet Scene perform Hamlet on an open-air stage in the courtyard.
Frederik 2's Kronborg is at once an elegant castle and a monumental military fortress surrounded by considerable fortifications with bastions and ravelins. It has not been inhabited by the royal family since the late 1600's.
The castle houses collections of Renaissance and Baroque interiors, and among the main attractions is the 62-meter ballroom, the very well-preserved chapel and the mythological statue of Holger Danske below the castle.
Queen Caroline Mathilde under house arrest
In 1772 Kronborg Castle played a minor role in the fatal drama between the insane King Christian 7, his wife Queen Caroline Mathilde and her secret lover Johan Friedrich Struensee.
After the arrest of Struensee in Copenhagen 17 January 1772, Caroline Mathilde was taken to Kronborg Castle, where she was under house arrest for a period of time. Her fate was long uncertain.
She was accused of infidelity, and although her defender Peter Uldall did what he could, she was convicted, divorced from the king and banished to the town of Celle in northern Germany. She never saw her children again and died a few years later of an epidemic.
A trip to Kronborg is the perfect start to a day in Elsinore. With Copenhagen Card you can also visit the Maritime Museum, the Øresound Aquarium and much much.
From 1785-1923 Kronborg Castle was inhabited by the Danish military. The castle was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2000.
Closed Dec 24, 25 and 31
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Photo: Skibsklarerergaarden
Skibsklarerergaarden
Openings hours vary please check the website before going.
The museum Skibsklarerergaarden describes the first grand time of prosperity, Sundtoldtiden/The time of the Sound Toll. The house is the best-preserved merchant’s house and shipbroker house. It dates back to the 16th century, but the condition it is in now, dates back to 1780 and the following decades, and has remained unchanged.
The ground floor with shop and shipper’s room, as well as the noble Skibsklarerergaarden on the top floor has had a thorough restoration. A visit to the house is like stepping back 150 years in time. On ground floor, there is a shop and ship’s chandlery, established in 1809, and pretty much unchanged since 1820´ties.
Next to the shop is the shippers’ living room where seamen could enjoy a light meal and a dram. In the “contoire” is the big writing desk for four, and you will here see a clearer office from the mid 1800’ties.
On the 1st floor is the shipbrokers private apartment, reestablished, and showing a wealthy home in Elsinore between 1790 and 1850. On the top floor, you will see a room from the period of the shipper’s lodging house. The seamen could stay the night if needed due to business or weather change.
Related Attractions
M/S Maritime Museum in Elsinore is one of the most talked about museums in recent years. It has been named ‘A cutting-edge cultural venue’ by New York Times and ‘One of the eight greatest new museums’ by BBC. A sensory experience awaits with stunning architecture and modern, interactive exhibitions.
From a distance it is almost invisible, but below sealevel - in the middle of the newly renovated Culture Harbour and next door to Kronborg Castle - lies the Danish Maritime Museum, M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark. If you follow the sloping bridges into the old dry dock, you will experience one of the most spectacular new buildings in Denmark of the recent years.M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark tells the story of Denmark as one of the world's leading maritime nations in an evocative and dramatic way. The setting is innovative and created by the award-winning design studio BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group.
Eight different themes
You can experience the story of Denmark as one of the world's leading maritime nations through eight different themes. You can look forward to the museum's rich maritime collection on display in an evocative and dramatic staging with major film projections and soundscapes.
At the museum, you can get lost in films, objects and texts for hours – or you can walk through the exhibitions in 20 minutes and still get a glimpse of shipping's past and present, its structures and elements. Many people see maritime history as a niche, but we try to open up history and tell stories of love, death, courage, science and drama
Experience seafaring up close in the 400 m2 maritime play universe ‘THE DREAM SHIP’ which encourage play, adventure and stories amongst children, parents and grandparents. ‘THE DREAM SHIP’ is supported by the Nordea Foundation and the Lauritzen Foundation. You can, among other things, come face to face with a torpedo, get an old sailor tattoo and see the world's largest model of a container ship.
Furthermore, the M/S Café offers lunch, hot and cold beverages and a selection of cakes. The museum shop M/S Cargo sells a wide variety of books, clothes, applied arts and toys related to the maritime world.
Special Exhibition: Pristine Seas
Opens on the 29th of february, 2024
The goal of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project is to help protect the ocean’s vital and wildest places.
Pristine Seas is working with Indigenous peoples and local communities, governments, nonprofit partners, and businesses to help establish 40 new marine reserves and protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.
The Øresund Aquarium (Øresundsakvariet) in Elsinore, north of Copenhagen, is a part of the University of Copenhagen’s museums and also an information and research center for water environment – and a ”must see” for everybody interested in the marine life in the Danish waters.
The aquarium is a locally placed saltwater aquarium specialized in the marine life in Oresund (Øresund). It is placed close to the northern harbor of Elsinore and with the sound as a close neighbor.
Visiting the aquarium will give you a thorough insight into the colorful and fascinating world, which is found on the seabed of the Danish waters and fiords.
Touch pools for children and grown-ups
The Øresund Aquarium is equipped with four different types of aquariums: biotope aquariums, theme aquariums, the touch pool for grown-ups (with for example rays and small sharks) and the very popular children’s touch pool, where children can touch crabs, sea stars and flatfish.
The Water Laboratory – a small piece of Øresund
At the harbor – approximately a one-minute walk from the aquarium – you will find the new outdoor Water Laboratory. Here we show you a small natural piece of Øresund.
It is established with stone reef, sand beds and banks of seaweed and you can experience lots of exciting fish and crabs. The Øresund Aquarium often puts new fish and animals into the basin, so there is always something to look at and study.
Activities at the aquarium
During school holidays the Øresund Aquarium organizes several activities for children and their families, for example, crab-catching at the Water Laboratory, special ”Touch living sea creatures”-events and dissections of various sea animals.
We also offer boat trips on the Øresund where we are watching for the small whale – the porpoise – as well as the elusive tuna fish and wild seabirds.
Please note that the aquarium is closed on the 24th, 25th & 31st of December + 1st of January