Helsingør, Denmark

Aerial view of the fortifications around Kronborg castle (photo taken from wikipedia)

Here are the last few photos from my broken camera...I have a substitute camera on the way. These photos were taken on a trip to Helsingør, and Kronborg castle. The castle was built in the 1400's by the Danish king, Eric of Pomerania. He built the fortress to better enforce the payment of 'sound dues,' a toll for passing through the Øresund Sound into the Baltic sea. In return, it was the king's duty to protect traders from pirates. The castle was heavily armed, and passing ships were supposed to tip their flag to signal their intent to stop and pay the dues. If they failed to signal, canons were fired. This model shows the original fortress, which was only inhabited by the king and his entourage for short periods of time.

The castle was expanded over the years, first by Frederic II, then by Christian IV. Most infamously, the castle is known as Elsinore, the setting for the play Hamlet. Perhaps because of this, and because of the long military function of the fortress, it has a reputation for being a very gloomy place. I was surprised, because although it was sparely furnished, the interiors were bright and elegant.

The most exciting part of the castle was a visit to the underground storage chambers. These chambers were a maze of passages and secret rooms, all barely lit. Down here is where they keep the statue of Holger Danske (Ogier the Dane), a legendary character who slumbers away, supposedly until the day that Denmark is in grave danger, when he will wake up to protect the country.