Kronborg Castle, Elsinore

In 1574-85, King Frederik II had a medieval fortress rebuilt into the Renaissance castle we see today; this is where our outing will take us. In Hamlet, the castle is referred to as Elsinore (which is the anglicised name of the surrounding town of Helsingør), but its real name is Kronborgs slot (that is, when it is not simply referred to as ‘Hamlet’s castle’). Although there is no evidence that Shakespeare himself ever visited Denmark, he certainly knew people who did, and these may have provided him with local colour for Hamlet (for instance, Will Kempe came to Elsinore in 1586 with a group of English players, performing at the inaugural festivities of the rebuilt castle). Every summer, the castle plays host to HamletScenen's Shakespeare Festival (read more about the festival here: hamletscenen.dk/en/platforms/the-shakespeare-festival). See a short film about Kronborg Castle here: http://www.provector.dk/video/?p=33493&cid=189&pl=14031