Helsingør

Get around

While the city is quite expansive, most sights of interest - besides the technical museum - lie within the compact city centre, so walking is really the best way to get around. Though the city does have a network of local bus lines, and two of the small local railways has several halts within the city. Most attractions are well signposted.

See

While most of the Hamlet hungry crowds head straight for the castle, the old city centre north-west of the station surrounding the church, is well worth a visit. The enormous wealth that flowed through the city in the old days, is highly visible with many grand, often colorful, old houses flanking the narrow streets, a few of them have preserved the old cobblestone pavement. The lively harbour can also be worth a look if you need to kill some time.

Do

One of the best experiences of the city is the grand Shakespeare at Hamlet's Castle-theater-festival at Kronborg held every August, which involves multiple theater-troupes - both Danish and international - performing a variety of Shakespeare's plays, usually including Hamlet.

You can use the warm summers to hang out on the Beaches; Snekkersten Strand south of town, Grønnehave Strand in town - just north of the castle, or pretty much the whole stretch of coast going north. Just west of town is the Teglstrup Hegn forest, which is especially lovely in early spring when the Anemone flowers are in bloom.

thumb|250px|The Marienlyst palace which the city's casino is named after

Buy

thumb|250px|Part of the old city with the cathedral in the background There are around 250 stores. The old city core, also referred to as the Pedestrian Zone, is home to many fabulous and cozy stores where you can find almost anything for anyone. There are several bakeries/conditories, banks, beauty salons, bookstores, a butcher's shop, electronics and appliance stores, footwear and accessories stores, fresh produce shops, home decor stores, jewellery stores, quite a few liquor stores, a post office, as well as plenty of boutiques catering to those shopping for women's, men's and children's apparel.

Eat

For a regional centre and a large tourist destination the culinary landscape of Elsinore is surprisingly bland, and to make matters worse a couple of the city's best restaurants went bust during the 2008 financial crisis. That being said there are still some atmospheric eateries in the old part of town, and day-trippers are well catered for when it comes to grabbing a bite at lunch in the many cafés, so skim the drink section as well for a selection of those. You are also well catered for with cheap shawarma and pizza joints, well, cheap for Denmark anyways.

Drink

thumb|250px|The Axel torv square If you want to meet the Swedes over some drinks, but are afraid to step through the time-pocket back into the 1920s prohibition era that still reigns across the sound, Helsingør is the place to do it. Well, exaggeration promotes understanding, but still Swedes have been plowing the dedicated alcohol shops and bars in town since the dawn of man, to escape the high prices stamped on the daemon drink over in Sweden, and enjoy the more liberal attitude towards drinking in Denmark. It's not as bad (or good depending on your point of view) as it used to be, but it still ensures that Helsingør is a fairly lively place to be during the weekend nights. Mind you, many locals still prefer the train ride to Copenhagen for a night out, and trains run all night.

There is a notorious group of trouble makers from the public housing blocks in the "suburbs", so all the clubs apply a general dress code to root them out, avoid street wear (i.e. hip hop outfits - Karl Kani etc.) and trainers if you plan on taking peek at the nightlife here.

Sleep

As mentioned above, it is perfectly feasible to visit Elsinore on a day trip from Copenhagen, but if you have ample time it's a good base to explore North Zealand and Northern Scania with its hostel and camping site, or if you just want to escape the big city bustle of Copenhagen. Visitors may also prefer staying in Helsingborg on the Swedish side of the strait, as it has several larger chain hotels and is only 20 minutes away by ferry.

Go next

Helsingborg — it's common for day trippers to take the ferry across the sound to Sweden, for shopping, sightseeing or just the "exotic" feeling of visiting another country Humlebæk — three stops south on the train, combining a visit on Kronborg with the fantastic Louisiana art museum in a daytrip, or other destinations on the Øresund Coast North Coast — miles of good beaches for summer relaxation and Denmark's best shot at Rivera life, a small railway will take you all the way to the north tip Klampenborg — a good way to end a day trip is spending the evening at the Bakken amusement park under the colourful lanterns out in the forest Hillerød and Fredensborg — architecture, History or Royalist buffs can visit the two other royal palaces of Northern Zealand easily with the railway to Hillerød Kongernes Nordsjælland National Park — the newly appointed national park is at your footsteps, but best if you put your feet on the pedals or speeder