NEWS
EVENTS
Denmark's Hippie Paradise - 'Freetown Christiania'
'Freetown Christiania', is the self-proclaimed magical hippie paradise in Denmark where a majority of things are legal, and people have complete control of their lives.
Christiania is a neighbourhood of around 850 residents, it was formerly a military area that belonged to the Danish government. The town of Christiania was formed when the abandoned military area in 1969 was taken over by squatters.
The new citizens of Christiana didn't follow the laws of society that everyone else in Denmark did. They made their own rules.
Not paying rent, taxes, running their own schools and businesses. The Danish government tried to shut Christiania down but they were unsuccessful due to the pressure from the public, therefore the community remained.
They made it their own 'Freetown.'
The town itself is self-governing and doesn't have many laws. It has a few rules, which are known as 'Christiania's Common Law'. These rules are, 'no fighting, no weapons, no stolen goods, no hard drugs'.
Christiania has its very own flag, I'm surprised they didn't make up their own language too!
When you enter the town, you go past a sign that says “You Are Now Leaving the European Union.” In Christiana, there is no passport control and you don't need a visa to get into the town.
The only thing you need is proof that you are legally allowed to be in Europe. So if you are an EU citizen, have a Schengen Visa, or a working visa for Denmark, you will be perfectly fine!
Christiania has no hotels in the town, so you will have to travel to Amager or Downtown if you want to find a place to stay.
It is also car free, so most people take public transport or ride bikes. But tourists are prohibited from taking photographs in Christiana, whether it's on a camera or just a mobile phone.
It is an extremely colourful and edgy town, where you will find lots of art work and murals on the streets. There are many quirky and unique looking places, it really adds to the feeling of it being a 'free-town'.
'Pusher Street' is where marijuana is sold openly on the street, even though it is illegal, it is tolerated, however sometimes police raids happen on the stalls.
Cannabis was tolerated by authorities until 2004. But drug use has always been a part of the community of Christiania, and it won't be slowing down anytime soon. For example in Café Nemoland, you can smoke weed in an outdoor seating area on the street.
Cannabis shops are open 24 hours a day and sell 30–40 types of hashish. Quite chill if I may say so myself.
There are many music venues and museums for people to visit, so there is a lot to do. 'Gay House' is a popular destination that has lots of events for the LGBT community. It is the main centre for gay activism and parties.
There are lots of places that are open till late. Bars, restaurants, and music venues being particularly popular. There are also plenty of places where you can hang out late into the night. So go expecting a very unique and interesting town, where you are free to be as weird as you want!
