This is Freetown Christiania – I Visited a Commune in the Middle of Copenhagen

When researching what to do for my trip to Copenhagen, I was quite surprised to learn about Freetown Christiania, a commune right in the middle of one of the world’s most developed cities. I feel compelled to share my experience visiting Freetown Christiania and also details on what you need to know about this fascinating area in case you should want to visit, too. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND ON FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA

Freetown Christiania, or just Christiania, is a commune in Copenhagen, Denmark that operates under a pseudo-anarchist consensus democracy. It began in the 1970s, when 700 squatters populated an abandoned military base (just 10 minutes away from the Danish parliament). The government initially allowed it to exist as a social experiment. 

 

 

 

 

 

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The residents wrote their own constitution, printed their own money, legalized some drugs, and ended property ownership. Eventually the government tried to shut it down but agreed in 1989 to legalize the settlement as long as they followed basic rules. Since then, Freetown Christiania has faced numerous government attempts to shut it down, but in 2011, the residents officially bought the land and own the property on the land, collectively.

Today about 900 people live in Freetown Christiania and all political decisions are made jointly at a monthly meeting. Residents don’t pay rent but instead a user fee which pays for communal infrastructure. Inside the commune there are public art installations, colorful houses, galleries, music venues, shops, grocery stores, restaurants, kindergartens,  and more. Many people who live here are descendants of the original residents and have built their houses by hand with recycled materials. There’s a strong community spirit, and the commune even has its own flag and sports team.

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Freetown Christiania is perhaps best known for Pusher Street – an area with open market cannabis trade that has become almost exclusively run by gangs. Many residents have advocated for the street to be closed entirely and ask tourists not to purchase any goodies here, especially since drugs are not legal in Denmark. As of April 2024, Pusher Street is closed.

It’s thought that Freetown Christiania is one of the few examples of communities run as a true democracy that exists in the world. It is one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions, and for a good reason! One would be surprised to learn that Freetown Christiania even has it’s own gift shop.

WHERE IS FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA?

Freetown Christinia is located in Copenhagen’s Christianshavn neighborhood, an area of small islands. As I will mention again later, there are no cars allowed inside Freetown Christiania, however visitors can walk or bike right in at multiple entrances (the main being on Prinsessegade). To arrive at Freetown Christiania you can take the metro to the Christianshavn station, walk south to the second intersection, and turn left on Prinsessegade.

HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA?

Freetown Christiania has anywhere between 850-1,000 residents. Residents span a wide range of ages and nationalities, however most are Scandinavian. Currently, most people who live in Freetown Christiania are descendants of the initial settlers (or are initial settlers themselves).

Simply put, A LOT of people want to move to Freetown Christiania. There is a lot of interest but not much space. When a space becomes available, it is advertised in the commune’s newspaper and neighbors decide collectively who the room will go to. Some people wait years before being chosen to move into the commune. However, in the place where Pusher Street once was (more on this later), there are plans to build a shared accommodation that will room 300 more residents.

IS IT SAFE TO VISIT FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA?

Of course, safety is subjective, but in my personal experience I felt safe visiting Freetown Christiania. I won’t lie, walking into the commune felt a bit eerie because I didn’t know what to expect. But I soon realized it’s a very chill place, with a mix of both tourists and friendly locals. For reference, I only visited during the daytime. If you visit at nighttime, people recommend taking extra precautions as you would visiting anywhere at night.

Freetown Christiania has gained somewhat of an infamous reputation due to its tumultuous conflicts regarding Pusher Street, a (former) street comprised of an open market drug trade. While hard drugs are illegal in Freetown Christiania, Pusher Street was popular with visitors seeking to buy substances and ultimately became entirely run by gangs. In the past, police presence on Pusher Street was common as well as frequent raids and even gun violence.

For decades, the residents of Freetown Christiania as well as Copenhagen officials wished for an end to Pusher Street. Locals discourage tourists from participating in the drug trade and purchasing substances in Freetown Christiania. There have been failed attempts in the past to close Pusher Street, but the closure never lasted for long. However, in April 2024 Pusher Street was demolished and no longer exists as of this writing.

If you prefer visiting Freetown Christiania with a group, consider taking a dedicated tour with a local guide or stopping by as part of a larger city-wide tour.

WHAT ARE THE RULES IN FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA?

Contrary to popular belief, there are rules in Freetown Christiania that visitors are expected to follow. 

• No violence (guns, knives, gangs, etc.) and hard drugs. There’s a zero tolerenace policy!
• No cars are allowed. People can only romp around Freetown Christiania by foot or bike.
• No running. Running indicates something bad might be happening (such as a police raid), so to avoid scaring people, just travel at a normal speed.

As of 2013, a legislative proposal repealed ‘Christiania Law,’ the set of laws set by Freetown Christiania’s residents in order to self-govern. This means that the area is subject to the same legislative rules that apply to the rest of Denmark. However, it’s a bit murky how these rules are actually applied within the commune.

CAN YOU TAKE PHOTOS IN FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA?

Previously, visitors were banned from taking photos in Freetown Christiania, particularly on Pusher Street (since there were illegal activities happening). Today, it’s OK to take photos in the commune, but of course you should be mindful about the people in the back of your photos and not take photos of particular individuals without their permission. I was encouraged to take photos by a local resident, and he even lifted me up (with a joint hanging out of his mouth) so I could reach the hole for my head in this poster.

I’m really glad Freetown Christiania relaxed the rules on taking photos. At the time I visited, Pusher Street was still active, so I avoided taking photos on that street. But now that Pusher Street is a non-entity, you’re pretty much good to take photos anywhere (respectfully). Freetown Christiania is such a unique place with beautiful wall art and installations, colorful houses, and political statements, and I’m glad I was able to capture it on my camera to share with you.

IS PUSHER STREET REALLY CLOSED?

Yes, as of April 6th, 2024, Pusher Street was officially closed. Police tour down the seller booths and locals ripped up the pavement, even claiming cobblestones as souvenirs from the famous street. It is reported that police are still monitoring the area. In exchange for the residents’ cooperation, the Danish government is providing funding for the commune to rebuild the area and develop more residential areas in its place.

IS FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA WORTH VISITING?

In my opinion, Freetown Christiania is definitely worth visiting while you are in Copenhagen. It’s unlike anywhere else I’ve ever seen before and it’s truly a place you just need to experience for yourself. The main things to do in Freetown Christiania are to walk around, dine at one of its many food joints, or explore the workshops in galleries. You can also rent bikes, including cargo bikes for kids, at Christiania Bikes to explore the area both within and outside the compound.

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Whether or not you are soon planning to visit Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, I hope you learned something about this fascinating community!