Page 646 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

644  SC ANDINA VIA

2 Helsingør
Zealand. * 46,500. g £ @
n Havnepladsen 3 (49 21 13 33).
∑ visitnorthsealand.com
Helsingør, or Elsinore, lies at the
narrowest point of the Øresund,
the waterway dividing Denmark
and Sweden. Its attractive
medieval quarter has many
well-preserved merchants’ and
ferrymen’s houses. On the
waterfront stands the Maritime The spires and turrets of the Kronborg Slot, Helsingør
Museum of Denmark.
The town is dominated by by an artificial lake. Created as a of Harald Bluetooth’s original
Kronborg Slot (Kronborg residence for Frederik II (1559– church. Begun by Bishop
Castle), which stands on a spit 88), the castle was rebuilt in the Absalon in 1170, the building is
of land overlooking the sea. Dutch Renaissance style by his now a mix of architectural styles.
Famous as the setting of Hamlet, son, Christian IV (1588–1648). The cathedral also functions as
the fortress actually dates from The vaulted black marble Denmark’s royal mausoleum –
the 1500s, much later than chapel, where monarchs were some 39 Danish kings and
Shakespeare’s character would once crowned, sits directly queens are buried here.
have lived. Highlights include below the Great Hall, with its Overlooking Roskilde Fjord is
the 62 m (210 ft) banqueting fine tapestries, paintings, and the Vikingeskibsmuseet. This
hall. A statue of the Viking chief reliefs. The castle also houses Viking ship museum contains
Holger Danske slumbers in the National History Museum. five reconstructed Viking ships,
the castle cellars – according first built around AD 1000,
to legend he will awaken to 4 Roskilde excavated from the bottom
defend Denmark if needed. of the fjord in 1962. In the
Zealand. * 49,000. £ @ waterside workshops, Viking
+ Kronborg Slot n Stændertorvet 1 (46 31 65 65). ship replicas are built using
Kronborg. Tel 49 21 30 78. @ 840, 842. ∑ visitroskilde.com authentic period tools and
Open Apr–Oct: daily; Nov–Mar: Tue– traditional techniques.
Sun. & 8 0 ∑ royalpalaces.dk The settlement of Roskilde first
came to prominence in AD 980, E Vikingeskibsmuseet
3 Frederiksborg when a Viking king, Harald Vindeboder 12. Tel 46 30 02 00.
Open daily. Closed Dec 24, 25 & 31.
Slot Bluetooth, built Zealand’s first & 8 in summer. 7 call in advance.
Christian church here. Once the
Hillerød, Zealand. Tel 48 26 04 39. £ to center of Danish Catholicism, - = ∑ vikingeskibsmuseet.dk
Hillerød, then bus 301, 302. Open the town declined after the
daily. & 7 - = ∑ dnm.dk Reformation. Today, it is a quiet 5 Odense
town, except when it hosts
One of Scandinavia’s most northern Europe’s largest annual Funen. * 173,000. £ @
magnificent royal castles, the music festival in the first n Rådhus, Vestergade (63 75 75 20).
Frederiksborg Slot is built across weekend of July. Roskilde ∑ visitodense.com
three small islands surrounded Domkirke stands on the site
Odense is Denmark’s third-
largest urban center. It lies at
the heart of an area dubbed the
“Garden of Denmark” for the
variety of fruits and vegetables
produced here. The town is
most famous as the birthplace
of Hans Christian Andersen.
Odense is easily explored on
foot. Looking like a storybook
village, the old town contains
some fine museums, including
three art museums, one of
which, Brandts, is dedicated
to photo graphy. Odense’s
showpiece is the Hans Christian
Andersen Museum, where the
View from the outer courtyard of Frederiksborg Slot storyteller’s life is detailed
For hotels and restaurants see p648 and p649

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