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Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry route
The Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry route ("HH route") is a shipping route connecting Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark and Helsingborg, Sweden across the northern, and narrowest part of the Øresund. Due to the short distance, which is less than 3 nautical miles, it is one of the world's busiest international car ferry routes, with around 70 daily departures from each harbour. The oldest-known written mention of the route dates to the German traveller Adam of Bremen in the 11th century, but it has likely been in use much longer. Before 1658, the route was a domestic Danish route. For several centuries, the route has been run regularly by various Danish shipping lines. Its significance grew during the 1950s, but since the inauguration of the Øresund Bridge in 2000, at the southern end of the Øresund, it has lost some significance but remains as one of the world's most important ferry routes, particularly as a cheaper alternative to the bridge tolls. Since 1952, passports have not been required for citizens of the Nordic Passport Union countries. Since 2001, when both countries became members of the Schengen Area, passports are not needed for anyone.
The route is served by car ferry shipping line Scandlines and a smaller passenger shipping line known as Sundbusserne ("The Sound Buses"). Scandlines' Öresundslinjens ferries depart more than 70 times daily, from each port. The distance between Denmark and Sweden there is around 2.5 nautical miles (approx. 4.5 km), the crossing time is typically 20 minutes. Scandlines/Öresundslinjen uses four ferries, MF Tycho Brahe, MS Aurora, MF Hamlet and MF Mercandia IV.
In each city, the ferry terminals are directly connected to the main railway stations. Trains depart from Helsingør to Copenhagen four to seven times per hour and arrive at Copenhagen Central Station after 38 or 55 minutes (at more northern Copenhagen stations such as Østerport faster).
In Helsingborg the ferry terminal is connected to an underground railway station and a station nearer the bus station. The entire building is known as "Knutpunkten", "The Junction". It is one of the busiest stations in Sweden and around 50.000 passengers (including those in cars and lorries) use "Knutpunkten" every day.
In 2017 Scandlines began a project to use electrical power through large batteries, to reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The old oil (or diesel) burning engines will mainly be used to charge the batteries. The final intention is to abandon the old engines totally. The initial part is intended to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent.
There is proof of traveling across the northern part of Øresund from earliest possible historical times, or since the Christianisation of the Vikings (in Denmark from around 985, according to the larger Jellinge Stone). The oldest-known historical text about travels across Øresund derives from the German history writer Adam of Bremen, who around 1070 wrote "From Zealand to Scania are many well used crossings, of which the shortest leads to Helsingborg."
Danish and Kalmar Union King, Eric of Pomerania introduced the Sound Dues in 1429. This charge were to be paid to Denmark by every ship that passed through Øresund. They were at the time mainly enforced as a disadvantage to the Hansa, and soon became an important source of income for Denmark in the following centuries. Helsingør became a flourishing town. William Shakespeare set his play Hamlet (written 1599–1601; first printed in 1603) at Elsinore (i.e. Helsingør) and Kronborg Palace. At the end of medieval times, Kronborg was a fortress (completely rebuilt during the early Renaissance) and until 1658 the Danes had a complete view across the narrow northern part of Øresund. It was not only from Kronborg they could watch ships, but also from the tower in Helsingborg, known as Kernen. The Sound Dues were to last until 1857—with exception for Swedish ships between 1658 and 1720—when international complaints initiated economic and political agreements.
Fishers and ships that crossed the Øresund were not passing through, and were hence not affected by the Sound Dues. Before 1658, ships could pay their commission both sides of the narrow strait which constitutes the Northern part of Øresund. After the Swedish conquest of Scania, the ships which were bound to pay the charges needed to anchor just south of Kronborg Castle, as Sweden had never been allowed to take any dues. The sheltered location just south of Kronborg, where ships anchored in order to pay the Sound Dues, are the ferry berth of Helsingør today.
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Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry route
The Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry route ("HH route") is a shipping route connecting Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark and Helsingborg, Sweden across the northern, and narrowest part of the Øresund. Due to the short distance, which is less than 3 nautical miles, it is one of the world's busiest international car ferry routes, with around 70 daily departures from each harbour. The oldest-known written mention of the route dates to the German traveller Adam of Bremen in the 11th century, but it has likely been in use much longer. Before 1658, the route was a domestic Danish route. For several centuries, the route has been run regularly by various Danish shipping lines. Its significance grew during the 1950s, but since the inauguration of the Øresund Bridge in 2000, at the southern end of the Øresund, it has lost some significance but remains as one of the world's most important ferry routes, particularly as a cheaper alternative to the bridge tolls. Since 1952, passports have not been required for citizens of the Nordic Passport Union countries. Since 2001, when both countries became members of the Schengen Area, passports are not needed for anyone.
The route is served by car ferry shipping line Scandlines and a smaller passenger shipping line known as Sundbusserne ("The Sound Buses"). Scandlines' Öresundslinjens ferries depart more than 70 times daily, from each port. The distance between Denmark and Sweden there is around 2.5 nautical miles (approx. 4.5 km), the crossing time is typically 20 minutes. Scandlines/Öresundslinjen uses four ferries, MF Tycho Brahe, MS Aurora, MF Hamlet and MF Mercandia IV.
In each city, the ferry terminals are directly connected to the main railway stations. Trains depart from Helsingør to Copenhagen four to seven times per hour and arrive at Copenhagen Central Station after 38 or 55 minutes (at more northern Copenhagen stations such as Østerport faster).
In Helsingborg the ferry terminal is connected to an underground railway station and a station nearer the bus station. The entire building is known as "Knutpunkten", "The Junction". It is one of the busiest stations in Sweden and around 50.000 passengers (including those in cars and lorries) use "Knutpunkten" every day.
In 2017 Scandlines began a project to use electrical power through large batteries, to reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The old oil (or diesel) burning engines will mainly be used to charge the batteries. The final intention is to abandon the old engines totally. The initial part is intended to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent.
There is proof of traveling across the northern part of Øresund from earliest possible historical times, or since the Christianisation of the Vikings (in Denmark from around 985, according to the larger Jellinge Stone). The oldest-known historical text about travels across Øresund derives from the German history writer Adam of Bremen, who around 1070 wrote "From Zealand to Scania are many well used crossings, of which the shortest leads to Helsingborg."
Danish and Kalmar Union King, Eric of Pomerania introduced the Sound Dues in 1429. This charge were to be paid to Denmark by every ship that passed through Øresund. They were at the time mainly enforced as a disadvantage to the Hansa, and soon became an important source of income for Denmark in the following centuries. Helsingør became a flourishing town. William Shakespeare set his play Hamlet (written 1599–1601; first printed in 1603) at Elsinore (i.e. Helsingør) and Kronborg Palace. At the end of medieval times, Kronborg was a fortress (completely rebuilt during the early Renaissance) and until 1658 the Danes had a complete view across the narrow northern part of Øresund. It was not only from Kronborg they could watch ships, but also from the tower in Helsingborg, known as Kernen. The Sound Dues were to last until 1857—with exception for Swedish ships between 1658 and 1720—when international complaints initiated economic and political agreements.
Fishers and ships that crossed the Øresund were not passing through, and were hence not affected by the Sound Dues. Before 1658, ships could pay their commission both sides of the narrow strait which constitutes the Northern part of Øresund. After the Swedish conquest of Scania, the ships which were bound to pay the charges needed to anchor just south of Kronborg Castle, as Sweden had never been allowed to take any dues. The sheltered location just south of Kronborg, where ships anchored in order to pay the Sound Dues, are the ferry berth of Helsingør today.