The Part of Copenhagen No One Could Describe

The Freetown of Christiania

Wikipedia classifies it as a “micronation”. I never heard of it until locals and visitors recommended it as a “must-see” in Copenhagen. The odd part? Whenever I asked, no one could precisely describe to me what Christiania is. Words thrown around include: “illegal”, “some sort of fenced area”, “a place you don’t talk about”, and yes, even “communist” (though after visiting, I question the accuracy of these descriptors). Considering I’m a danger magnet, I had doubts whether I should visit it. Then again, that’s the fun part, isn’t it?

Esben, my tour guide of a walking tour of the city, couldn’t take us inside because the people of Christiania provide their own tours. However, he did provide some insights into this seemingly mysterious place. It turns out Christiania was established in an area of Copenhagen formally occupied by military barracks. Once the barracks were abandoned in the 1970s, a subset of people settled in the area and lived “on their own terms”. Overtime, they considered their settlement to be “independent” of the city.

Situated in the Christianhavn neighbourhood, Christiania is steps away from the famous Church of Our Saviour. Once you enter, you see arrays of abandoned barracks covered by colourful art murals and graffiti. The freedom of express one’s true self without societal constraints is the theme here. There are times it will feel as though you walked straight into some 1960s Beatles music video.

Photographs are allowed, with the exception of a short stretch of road known as “Pusher Street”. Everyone who spoke of Christiania warned against taking photos in this area. Signs erected on both ends of the street displayed three simple rules:

1. No Photos

2. No Running

3. Have Fun

They tell you not to run because supposedly it “causes panic”. The first rule is taken very seriously. I was told that once, a tourist disobeyed it and was stripped naked by the people, then tied to a pole with the camera around his neck. I don’t know if it’s a rumour or not, but I surely wasn’t brave enough to test this one.

Oh, if you are wondering, Pusher Street is also known as the “Green Light District”. What they sell there still isn’t legal in Denmark, which should help you put some of these rules into perspective.

Past Pusher Street, where you can take out your cameras again, is the centre core of Christiania, where amenities of any standard community can be found. There are bulletin boards with notices, gathering places for the locals, and even mini-grocery stores where they sell their own ecological beer.

If you purchase a bottle of their beer, you are contributing to their special “fund”. Long story short, the town is raising money to purchase the land they occupy from the government. This is also why the community encourages visit from tourists, as we directly and indirectly contribute to their cause.

In Christiania’s residential area, houses are scattered between trees and dirt paths. Each house is built to the taste of the owner and as such, has its own distinct character. Even then, there is one common trend I noticed: all houses have a lot of windows, fostering an open and cozy atmosphere. There is even a famous house everyone talked about, that was built entirely from windows as its walls, which unfortunately, I couldn’t locate.

Another reason to visit Christiania? Esben mentioned this on our walking tour, and it could not be any more true: Christiania is as close to nature as you can be in Copenhagen. Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by trees. The town is like an occupied forest, with a body of water dividing the town into two sides, connected by a bridge (Pusher Street is on the west side, FYI).

“Freetown”, “anarchist community”, these are some other terms I’ve heard used to describe Christiania. Though it is bizarre to a small extent, after visiting the community, you realize the locals are ordinary people like you and me, except they choose to live freely on their own terms.

What’s Christiania really like? There’s no other way to find out than paying your own visit. Aside from Tivoli, Nyhavn, or the Little Mermaid statue, make sure you check it out when you are visiting the Danish capital!