Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, isn’t short of touristic attractions. The list of top sights to see when visiting the city includes historic castles and palaces. People flock to the famous “The Little Mermaid” statue. The picturesque Nyhavn waterfront and the Tivoli Gardens, the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, are definitely must-sees. However, and as beautiful as all the attractions are, one stands out in its uniqueness: the neighborhood of Freetown Christiania.
What is Freetown Christiania?
Freetown Christiania, or simply known as Christiania, is an “independent” neighborhood in the city of Copenhagen. Its community operates independently. Meaning, they have their own laws and their own way of free living. They do not consider themselves as part of Denmark or the European Union. They do not pay taxes. Its residents of almost 1,000 people follow beliefs based in the hippie movement, anarchism, the squatter movement, and collectivism.
How did Freetown Christiania come about?
The area used to be an abandoned military base before the founding of Freetown Christiania in 1971. Homeless people from surrounding neighborhoods found shelter in these abandoned buildings. These homeless groups, along with other groups of artists and squatters, claimed this piece of land and turned it into what is the world’s largest and longest commune.
Freetown Christiania’s Flag
As an independent and autonomous district, Christiania developed its own flag. It is represented by a red background and three yellow dots. The three dots represent the three “i” letters found in the name Christiania.
Christiania also adopts a 1976 protest song in the name of I kan ikke slå os ihjel (You cannot kill us) as an unofficial anthem.
What about Drugs in Freetown Christiania?
While hard drugs are strictly banned, smoking soft drugs (hash/marijuana) is very common in Christiania. The Pusher Street or The Green Light District is specifically known for its hash-selling stalls.
A word of caution: Buying and consuming drugs is illegal in Denmark, including Christiania. Continuous raids by the police occur here, so you might be slapped with a fine or arrested if caught smoking or buying hash.
Rules in Freetown Christiania
A poster in the community’s main meeting room explains the rules of the commune. Titled as “Christianias Common Law”, it reads: “Christiana’s commitment is to create and sustain a self-governing community, in which everyone is free to develop and express themselves as responsible members of the community”. The 9 common rules of this “Free-Town” follows that statement with clear pictures:
No Weapons
No Hard Drugs
No Violence
No Cars
No Bikers’ Colors
No Bulletproof Clothing
No Sale of Fireworks
No Use of Thunder-flashes
No Stolen Goods
Stated on an entrance sign in multiple languages, there are 3 additional rules in the area around Pusher Street (The Green Light District). :
Have Fun
Don’t Run – It Causes Panic
No Photos – Buying and Selling Hash is Still Illegal
Can I Take Pictures?
Taking pictures is hugely discouraged. When entering the commune, you will see signs forbidding the capture of photos and videos. Originally, visitors were not allowed to carry cameras or take pictures anywhere within the commune; however, this rule has been relaxed now, so you can snap a few pictures as long as you are away from crowds and aren’t on Pusher Street. Just make sure you aren’t taking snaps of people or the stalls without permission.
Why Go There?
Freetown Christiania is probably one of the few places in the world where you can actually enjoy an authentic hippie vibe. That is why people refer to it as the Hippie Paradise. You can experience these chill vibes throughout the area. The buildings and the streets are full of life and color. Cool Murals are all over the walls. You can find Graffiti Artwork in different corners. Shops, Art Galleries, Cafes and Restaurants are all there for exploring.
If you are into arts and crafts, if you are a lover or nature, or if you love bohemian designs, then this is a must-see during your visit to Copenhagen.
What about Food and Restaurants?
While meat can be found in restaurants, the community is very vegan and vegetarian friendly. Also, since they aim to sustain themselves, the food is grown locally and organic. As far as the prices go, they are fair and definitely lower than other dining options outside the area.
How To Get There?
As part of the environmentally-friendly beliefs of the commune, Christiania remains a car-free zone. People go around by foot within the town, but biking is another option.
It is important to note that Christiania has many entry points. The most common for tourists is crossing into the the town from the district of Christianshavn.
By Foot
Christianshavn is easily accessible by foot from Nyhavn, and the Center of Copenhagen. Depending on your exact location, it might be a 15 to 30 minutes walk.
By Metro
You can take the metro to Christianshavn station. From there it’s about a 6 minute walk (500m). When you exit the metro station continue south until the 2nd intersection, then turn left down Prinsessegade and walk a couple of hundred meters.
By Bus
If you want to use the bus, then you can reach the town from Central Station or Vesterport by catching bus 9A towards Refshaleøen and getting off at Bodenhoffs Plads.
We hope you enjoyed exploring this little Hippie Paradise, called Freetown Christiania. For more articles like this, head to the Travel section of our blog!
Lots of instagrammable locations! I never knew such a place existed.
That’s so cool, I never knew something like this existed. I love the idea of a self governing community of artists who make their own laws. Will definitely visit!
Thanks for this amazing post. Especially love those unique pictures!
Wow this is really fun city art, and great pictures what a fun article!
Looks like an offbeat destination. I love the pictures especially of the wall murals. Putting it on my bucket list
How cool! The mural art is really pretty. It looks very bohemian!