In the 1420s, Erik of Pomerania, King of Denmark, built a castle on Ørekrog - a tongue of land jutting out into the water across from Helsingborg at the narrowest point of the Sound just north of Elsinore.
It was no coincidence that the castle was built at this location. The King had just introduced a customs duty to be imposed on all foreign ships passing through the Sound. The ”Sound Dues” would be of great importance for the King and for Denmark's economy for more than 400 years and were not abolished until 1857 on the initiative of America.
The castle was named after the place and called 'Krogen' ('The Hook'). Surrounded by a very thick ring wall and with an 80 x 80 m ground plan, the castle was very large by the standards of that time. Within the ring wall were three corner houses of stone: In the north-eastern corner the King's residence, in the south-eastern corner a combined brew-house and kitchen that may also have served as a chapel, and in the south-western corner a vaulted banquet hall. Approx. 70 per cent of these stone houses are part of the modern-day Kronborg Castle.
Last updated:: Thursday, January 14, 2010
