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In 1629, a momentary lapse in concentration by two workmen caused much of the Castle to go up in flames
In 1629, a momentary lapse in concentration by two workmen caused much of the Castle to go up in flames. Due to the strength of its arches, the chapel was the only building to be spared the ravages o the fire. King Christian IV put in a tremendous amount of time and effort into restoring Kronborg castle to its former glory. By 1639 the exterior was fully restored to its magnificent former past. In 1658, the Swedish conquest of Kronborg, demonstrated that the Castle was far from impregnable. Afterwards, the defenses were considerably strengthened. Between 1688 and 1690, an advanced line of defense was added called the Crownwork. Shortly afterwards, a new series of ramparts were built around it. After these improvements, Kronborg was considered by many to be the strongest fortress in Europe. During the 18th and 19th century, Kronborg was used as a slave prison. The slaves were male convicts who had been sentenced to work on the Castle's fortifications. The convicts were divided into two categories. Those with minor convictions were classed as being "honest" and were allowed to work outside of the Castles walls. Those who were found guilty of committing acts of violence, murder or arson etc, were classed as being "dishonest" and had to serve their full sentence doing hard, physical labor within the Castle. All the inmates served their time under the same conditions: they all had to wear chains and spend nights in cold and damp dungeons. When Kronborg's importance as a royal castle began to decline, the countries military came to play a greater role. From 1785 to 1922, the Castle was wholly under military administration. During this time, a number of modifications were undertaken. Kronborg Castle is known by many as "Elsinore," the setting for much of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Hamlet was performed in the actual castle for the first time to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, with a cast consisting of soldiers from the castle garrison.
Tourist InformationOpening hours:Kronborg Castle is open for visitors: May-September: 10:30-17 October: (Closed on Mondays) 11-16 November-March: (Closed on Mondays) 11-15 April: (Closed on Mondays) 11-16 Easter: 10:30-17 The museum shop opens an hour before, and closes half an hour after, the castle. The castle courtyard closes at 17:50 during the summer, and at sunset (or 16:30 – whichever is later) during the winter. The Danish Maritime Museum has the same opening hours as the castle. The coastal batteries are open from sunrise (or 06:00 – whichever is later) to sunset. The rest of the fortress is always open. Admission: Ticket 1Royal Apartments – Ballroom ,Casemates – Castle Chapel, Danish Maritime MuseumAdults - 75 DKK Children(15 - 18) - 60 DKK Children (6 - 14) - 15 DKK Ticket 2Royal Apartments – Ballroom, Casemates – Castle ChapelAdults - 60 DKK Children (15 - 18) - 60 DKK Children (6 - 14) - 15 DKK Ticket 3Casemates – Castle ChapelAdults - 30 DKK Children (15 - 18) - 30 DKK Children (6 - 14 ) - 10 DKK Ticket 4Danish Maritime Museum Adults - 40 DKK Children (6 - 18) - Free
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Kronborg Castle is situated near the town of Elsinore on the extreme tip of Zealand and has a history which dates back to a fortress, Krogen, built in the 1420s by the Danish king, Eric of Pomerania. The castle consisted of a number of buildings inside a surrounding wall. Kronborg acquired its name in 1585 when it was rebuilt by King Frederick II into a magnificent renaissance castle.
