Kronborg Castle, Helsingor, Denmark (June 28, 2008)

Helsingor is a 13th century town located only 30 miles from Copenhagen on the northeastern tip of Zealand, Denmark's largest island. It lies on the Oresund Strait, a narrow strip of water that connects the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, separating Denmark from Sweden.

Helsingor is the site of Kronborg Slot, a 16th century castle that was built to enforce the collection of Sound Dues (tolls) from ships passing through the sound. These dues, instituted by Erik of Pomerania in the 15th century, brought the town a great deal of wealth. Today, the castle is probably best known as the model Shakespeare used for Elsinore Castle in Hamlet.

Kronborg Castle is one of Northern Europe's most important Renaissance castles and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Sally and my dad beside the castle moat

The interior of the castle is decorated in both Renaissance and Baroque styles

One of the castle's friendly volunteer guards

The castle's hefty fortifications; in the background you can see one of the many ferries that shuttle back and forth between Denmark and Sweden

A young swan and its mother paddle in the water near Kronborg Castle