Helsingør
Copenhagen is a city which can keep a visitor very busy with sightseeing for several days, and I suppose for most people that is all they want.
When I had my 48 hours there last weekend I decided to branch out a bit, having visited the city so many times before. My choice was between a day out in Roskilde or Helsingør, and in the end I chose Helsingør.
It is an easy 45-50 minute train journey north from Copenhagen, in Nordsjælland. Trains run every 20 minutes. The ones I caught were modern and comfortable, being the Øresundståg which are used on the services crossing the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden. I paid 108 DKK each way, but I suspect a 24 hour ticket would have saved me some money. Tickets are easy to buy from machines in the stations, taking cash or cards.
Rejseplanen App
Kronborg Slot was one of the main attractions in choosing my destination. The castle was well worth the trip. It dates from 1420 and was the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The banqueting hall is the largest in northern Europe. I found a very pleasant cafe – Strandsvejristeriet – just inside the outer walls. Best coffee and cake I have had for a while (and I’m a connoisseur). Entry to the castle was 90DKK, but you can walk around inside the outer walls without paying.
Kronborg Slot
As for the rest of Helsingør, it’s a pleasant little seaside and harbour town with non-stop ferries crossing to Helsingborg in Sweden. I walked around to take in Axeltorv (the town square), Karmeliterklosteret (15th century monastery) and Sankt Olai Kirke.
May Colours
I made a good choice for my sunny Sunday by the sea.
ⓒ iain taylor, 2018