Scandinavia in a Nutshell

Here are a variety of web links to sites that provide additional information on Oslo, Norway; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Stockholm, Sweden.  Many sites list the same attraction, but may give additional information or a new perspective.

Oslo, Norway

OSLO, NORWAY

Rick Steves Oslo Travel Guide – contains information on sites to see and ways (watch, read, listen) to get familiar with Oslo.

Trip Advisor’s Top Ten Oslo – get lists and reviews of museums, historic sites, parks, and more.  Click on “See All” for more complete listing.

Oslo’s 10 Top Attractions

12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions and Things to Do in Oslo – Planet Ware.

Copenhagen, Denmark

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Rick Steves Copenhagen Travel Guide – contains information on sites to see and ways (watch, read, listen) to get familiar with Copenhagen.

Trip Advisor’s Things to Do in Copenhagen

Top 30 Attractions in Copenhagen

Top 10 Free Things to Do in Copenhagen – Lonely Planet

Best Things to Do in Copenhagen – US News and World Report

12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions and Things to Do in Copenhagen – Planet Ware

Things to Do in Copenhagen – 10 Best Lists from USA Today

Top Ten Free Things to Do in Copenhagen – Conde Nast Traveler

Stockholm, Sweden

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Rick Steves Stockholm Travel Guide – contains information on sites to see and ways (watch, read, listen) to get familiar with Stockholm.

Trip Advisor’s Things to Do in Stockholm

12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions and Things to Do in Stockholm – Planet Ware

21 Stunning Things to Do in Stockholm

8 Best Things to Do in Stockholm – US News and World Report

Top 15 Attractions and Things to Do in Stockholm

Stockholm’s Must Dos – National Geographic City Guide

Stockholm: 10 Things to Do – Time

Top Things to Do in Stockholm – Lonely Planet

MAPS

Oslo City Map – Click to enlarge an area

Copenhagen City Map – Click to enlarge an area

Stockholm City Map – Click to enlarge an area

Scandinavia…in general

Rick Steves Travel Talk: Scandinavia – video travel class

Elsinore - Kronborg Castle -- near Copenhagen, Denmark

Kronborg Castle in Helsingør is the actual castle that William Shakespeare set Hamlet in.  In his famous play, the castle was called Elsinore, which has become the English name for Helsingør.   Located an hour north of Copenhagen, Denmark, it is still a mystery whether Shakespeare actually ever visited the castle.

Kronborg Castle

 Regardless, he doubtless heard the stories of the beautiful castle and the fabulous banquets held there.  He wrote this world-renowned tragedy around 1600 before the fire devastated the infamous castle.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, Kronborg Castle has existed since 1420.  Although it burned to the ground and has been rebuilt, its strategic position at the head of  Øresund Sound placed Helsingør as one of the most important cities in Europe when passing ships were bound to stop and pay tolls before sailing into the Baltic Sea.   

With these Sound Dues, Frederick II adorned the castle with spires, sandstone and copper roofs making it one of the most beautiful castles of the Renaissance period.  Lavish court life vanished after the fire of 1629 taking all its rich furnishings leaving only its exterior walls.

Interior Kronborg Castle

Frederick II had ordered a series of rich tapestries depicting 1,000 years of Danish history to adorn the Ballroom, or Great Hall, built for his queen Sophie.   Of the 43 historic tapestries all but 15 were destroyed in the fire, and seven are on display at Kronborg.

The palace was rebuilt within ten years but never regained its former glory.  The Swedish king Karl Gustav (husband of Queen Hedvig Leonora of Drottningholm Palace fame) plundered Kronborg in 1658-1660 and for 300 years, the castle served only as a fortress and barracks.

Twisted passageways and secret crypts offer a mystique to the castle. These hidden casemates were built 1574-76 after the fire to provide a hiding place for soldiers, their horses, and provisions…enough to feed 1,000 men for six weeks.

Holger Danske

Deep underground visitors will find the imposing statue of Holger the Dane (Holger Danske), a legendary figure in Danish culture.  As the story goes, if Denmark is ever in trouble, he awakes from his rocky throne to defend her.

While touring the castle, use wifi to listen to stories about the castle’s main rooms.  Look for signs with QR codes on window sills.  Scan the code and get the exciting story of the room, what it was used for, and who lived there.  Be sure to have a QR code reader already loaded on your smart phone.

In the summer of 2017, Hamlet characters will take up residence in the halls and chambers of Kronborg Castle.  Although this Hamlet Live tour costs more than a regular admission ticket, visitors just might run into them while they are roaming around the castle.  Don’t be surprised to see Hamlet or Ophelia wandering the halls.

The Round Tower -- Copenhagen, Denmark

Completed in 1642, The Round Tower, or Rundetaarn, is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.  It was used by the University of Copenhagen until 1861, but today anyone can view the night sky through the astronomical telescope in the observatory at the top of the tower.  

The Round Tower attached to the church and library

The Round Tower was the first building in the Trinitatis Complex built by King Christian IV linked to the University Church built especially for the scholars and students of Copenhagen’s University.

Building of the tower was inspired by Denmark’s astronomical achievements thanks to the astronomer Tycho Brahe, who died in 1601.

The 40-meter tall tower was built with a unique interior 210-meter long spiral ramp which leads to the top platform.  The whitewashed spiral ramp winds itself 7.5 times around the hollow core of the tower.

On the uppermost façade there is a gilded inscription, like a rebus, which may be interpreted: Lead God, the right teaching and justice into the heart of the crowned King Christian IV, 1642.  The original draft of this written in King Christian’s own hand is housed in the Danish Record Office.

One of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, The Tinder Box, written in 1835, tells the story of the soldier who meets the dog sitting on the money chests whose eyes are as big as the Round Tower. 

The spiral ramp to the top of the tower and the observatory

The ramp leads also to the library hall (its only entrance), which once housed the entire book collection of the university.  Andersen would visit here for inspiration for his works.  In 1861, the collection had outgrown the library and moved to its present location.  Restored in 1987, it is now used for exhibitions and concerts.

The two original privies still exist – one at the top and the other by the library, which has been restored but no longer in use.  You can actually go in, sit down, and have a look around the smallest room!

Although the spiral ramp is wide enough for an automobile, or horse and carriage in earlier times by Russian Tsar Peter the Great, today it ascended by foot – or by bicycle or unicycle at the annual race!  It is considered an easy climb with places to stop and rest along the way.

Today, a new attraction allows visitors to view the hollow core of the tower by walking on a floating glass floor 25 meters above ground.  The glass is 50 mm thick and can carry up to 900 kg per square meter. 

The center of the tower is from where all distances are measured in Copenhagen.  And the panoramic views are incredible!  Now enjoy a short video tour.