Kronborg castle

Not far from the city of Elsinore, in the northeastern part of the island of Zealand, there is one of the most important fortresses in Northern Europe - Kronborg. The history of its existence dates back to the beginning of the fifteenth century.

Before Kronborg there was the Krogen fortress built by King Eric of Pomerania. Then, with the help of Krogen, taxes were collected from ships leaving the Baltic Sea. The current name of the fortress was received in 1585, when, on the initiative of King Frederick II, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, and Kronborg turned into one of the most magnificent castles in Renaissance Europe.

At the moment, the castle is partially open to tourists. The castle also houses the Danish Maritime Museum. Numerous rooms and halls, castle fortifications, underground casemates, royal chambers and a chapel are open to visitors. Kronborg Castle is also commonly known as Elsinore, the setting for the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. For the first time, the play was staged in the castle itself only in 1816 on the 200th anniversary of the death of the playwright, and the roles in the production were played by the soldiers of the garrison. Since then, the play about the most famous Danish prince has been performed regularly at the castle.