Helsingør

Helsingør (English, Elsinore), town and seaport in eastern Denmark, in Frederiksborg County, Sjaelland (Zealand), near Copenhagen. Helsingør, with Kronborg Castle to the east of the town, is famous as the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The castle, built during the 16th century, is now used chiefly as a maritime museum, though performances of Shakespeare's tragedy are sometimes given here; it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Among the principal industries in Helsingør are glass manufacture, net making, shipbuilding, marine engineering, and iron founding. The town has a fine harbour, equipped with dry docks for the repair of ships. A ferry links Helsingør with Helsingborg (Sweden) across the Øresund. Population 34,906 (2003 estimate).