Copenhagen to Frederiksborg and Hamlet Castle: day trip

Kronborg Castle guards the narrowest point of the Øresund Sound as the Renaissance fortress Shakespeare immortalized as Elsinore in Hamlet — a UNESCO World Heritage site that controlled Baltic maritime trade for centuries and remains one of the great castle settings in northern Europe.

What to see

• The Great Hall — at 62 meters, the longest hall in northern Europe at the time of its construction, used for royal banquets and court entertainments
• The casemates — a labyrinth of vaulted underground passages beneath the castle where the legendary Holger Danske (Ogier the Dane) is said to sleep, awaiting Denmark's hour of need
• The castle exterior and the Øresund view — Sweden is visible across the three-kilometer strait; the castle's position on the headland is best appreciated from the surrounding ramparts

Take note

• Book tickets in advance at kronborg.dk/en/tickets

Frederiksborg Castle is Denmark's most magnificent Renaissance palace — a complex of three islands in a lake at Hillerød, built by King Christian IV in the early 17th century and now housing the Museum of National History, the most comprehensive collection of Danish historical painting in the country.

What to see

• The castle exterior and the lake — the approach across the baroque gardens gives one of the most formally composed castle views in Scandinavia
• The Museum of National History — 500 years of Danish history in portraits, historical paintings, and decorative arts; the collection of royal portraits is the most complete record of the Danish monarchy in existence
• The chapel, where Danish monarchs were crowned for over 200 years, and the original organ of 1610 is still played

What to eat

• Smørrebrød (open-faced rye bread sandwiches with pickled herring, roast beef, or smoked salmon) at one of the cafés in Hillerød's town center near the castle

Take note

• Book tickets in advance at frederiksborg.dk/en/tc-events/entry