Holiday apartment in Helsingør between Kronborg and the Øresund

Helsingør combines historic buildings with proximity to the water, maritime heritage and beaches. Kronborg is particularly prominent: the UNESCO World Heritage Site served William Shakespeare as the setting for his famous drama “Hamlet”, in which the castle became Elsinore Castle. At Kronborg, visitors can explore the casemates of Holger Danske all the way to the cannon tower, with views over the Øresund. A 15-minute introduction also conveys stories about the castle, its exhibitions and its kings.

Culture

The city’s cultural history can also be discovered along self-guided routes. Helsingør City Museum presents exhibitions on Helsingør’s 600-year history and sells two self-guided city tours, allowing visitors to explore stories directly on site in the city. A dedicated family activity is “Historiejagten – Helsingør”: it leads to four locations in Helsingør and includes written instructions, clues and tasks.

Kulturværftet hosts concerts, theatre performances, lectures and other major events. There is also “Historiens Dag”, a recurring autumn event with free activities about the history of Helsingør. Alongside permanent museums, the city’s events calendar therefore also features cultural offerings available for a limited time.

History

Værftsmuseet is located in the historic shipyard district and tells the story of 100 years of Helsingør Værft, the city’s largest employer. In a workshop area, visitors can try out various metalworking tools. The exhibition “Et skib bliver bygget” follows the construction of a ship from the signing of the contract to the ship’s completion. In addition, Værftsmuseet offers a free audio-visual tour of ten locations in the historic shipyard district.

Skibsklarerergaarden is a well-preserved merchant’s and shipbroker’s house from the Sound Dues era, largely unchanged since the 1780s. People in historical costumes, historical activities and tastings bring the house to life. The museum is open according to its programme and during the school holidays. The boutique offers, among other things, liquorice root, coffee, wine and beer.

M/S Museet for Søfart also combines place and subject in a unique way: it is located underground in an old dry dock dating from 1955. The museum conveys maritime history through exhibitions, books, guided tours and educational programmes, and since 1915 has told the story of Denmark, which is regarded as one of the world’s leading maritime nations.

Getting around

The Elsinore Walk cultural trail is marked by 750 blue dots, each placed five metres apart. The Elsinore Walk is suitable for wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties when the alternative routes marked in the accompanying brochure are used.

For personal orientation on site, Helsingør Visitor Service is just a few minutes’ walk from Helsingør railway station. There, local experts offer advice on culture, history, nature, events and family activities. Several cycling routes in and around Helsingør pass through beautiful nature, lead to historic sights and run through maritime environments. In Helsingør Municipality, additional cycling routes lead to the favourite places of local writers in the northern and southern parts of the municipality.

Geographical setting

In Helsingør, historic buildings, maritime heritage, water and beaches thus come together within a shared urban setting. Cultural offerings range from the castle and museums to major events, while walking and cycling routes provide different ways to experience history, nature and maritime environments.

Places in the destination area

Place pages in the destination area: Helsingør, Kvistgård, Espergærde, Snekkersten, Hellebæk.

Other destinations in the same wider area: Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality, Gladsaxe, Brøndby Municipality.

To the wider travel overview: Hovedstaden.