Capital Helsingør | Team FC Helsingør | |
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Points of interest Kronborg, Carmelite Priory - Helsingør, Marienlyst Castle, Øresundsakvariet, Saint Olaf's Church - Helsingør | ||
Helsingør Municipality (a variant English name: Elsinore Municipality; Danish: Helsingør Kommune), is a municipality in the Capital Region on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 122 km², and has a total population of 61,538 (1 April 2014). Its mayor as of 1 January 2014 is Benedikte Kiær, a member of the Conservative political party.
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Map of Helsing%C3%B8r Municipality, Denmark
The main town and the site of its municipal council is the town of Helsingør (also referred to in English as Elsinore). Other towns include Ålsgårde, Espergærde, Hellebæk, Hornbæk, Kvistgård, Snekkersten, and Stenstrup.
To the east is the Øresund, the strait which separates Zealand from Sweden. To the north is the Kattegat.
Ferry service connects the municipality at the town of Helsingør east over the Øresund to the town of Helsingborg, Sweden. The European routes E47 and E55 traverse the two cities.
Helsingør municipality was not merged with other municipalities due to the nationwide Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007).
History
The town as we know it today was founded in the 1420s by the Danish king Eric of Pomerania. He established the Sound Dues in 1429 and built the castle 'Krogen', which was made bigger in the 1580s and named Kronborg. Kronborg Castle, known internationally as the setting of William Shakespeare's theatre play Hamlet, is today the town's main tourist attraction.
Economy
Local companies include the Noa Nia clothing company, Barslund, Bavarian Nordic and Peter Beier Chokolade.