Things Tourists Shouldn't Do in Freetown Christiania

Freetown Christiania, Copenhagens autonomous neighbourhood
Freetown Christiania, Copenhagen's autonomous neighbourhood | © Pudelek / Wikimedia Commons
Aliki Seferou

Freetown Christiania looks nothing like the other neighbourhoods around beautiful Copenhagen – meaning you should definitely visit to see a different side of the neat capital of Denmark. As it has been an autonomous district since the 70s – when a group of hippies squatted the former military base area – Christiania has its own written and unwritten rules.

Love reading Culture Trip? How about travelling with us! Our Culture Trips are small-group tours that truly immerse you in a destination through authentic travel experiences. You can also embrace slow travel and the joys of journeying by train on our eco-friendly Rail Trips.

Don’t take photos at Pusher Street

The Green Light District or as it’s called by locals ‘Pusher Street’ is the most famous part of Freetown Christiania and is where you’ll see numerous booths loaded with all different kinds of weed set, no matter what time of day you pass by. Noticing the street’s underground atmosphere, visitors who have just left Copenhagen’s neat streets behind, usually feel the urge to take a couple of snaps without paying attention to the sign that has been standing at Christiania’s entrance for several years reading: ‘Taking photos is forbidden because buying and selling hash is still illegal.’ Keep your camera in your bag while you go past.

While it’s allowed to take photos in Christiania, taking photos with other people in the scene should only be done with permission. Though Freetown Christiania is a touristic site for you, for the 800 or so people living there it is their neighborhood and they don’t appreciate it when foreigners photograph them at their house’s front yards or while relaxing at their favourite café. So, try to be discreet and respect the locals.

Don’t run

Don’t run! Because as the sign at the entrance of the autonomous district says ‘running causes panic’. Freetown Christiania is a peaceful area and you have nothing to worry about while you’re taking a stroll but due to the cannabis trade, police raids take place quite often. So, the Christiania’s residents rightly so came up with the ‘Don’t Run’ rule especially for the area around the cafés, bars and restaurants where most people gather. So, even if you’re late for your appointment or are just keen to discover the area, keep your pace slow and steady.

Don’t buy hash

As paradoxical as this sounds you better not buy hash in Freetown Christiania (if you’re planning to buy any, to begin with). And it’s not us telling this, but the area’s residents. After two police officers were shot in Christiania in August 2016, local residents tried to stop the cannabis trade and for some months Pusher Street was empty. During that time, posters with the motto ‘Help Christiania and buy your hash somewhere else’ were hanging all over the neighbourhood, as residents tried to spread the word in an attempt to ban the cannabis trade to avoid similar incidents in the future. It didn’t take long before the stalls were once again set along Green Light District but many locals are still not supporting the cannabis trade that takes place in their neighbourhood.

The Freetown Christiania

Don’t assume smoking is legal

While you’re visiting Christiania you have to keep in mind that buying and smoking weed is illegal in Denmark and that applies to Christiania too. The hippie neighbourhood may be known for its open cannabis trade but that doesn’t mean that it’s legal. It’s said that when police officers roam around Christiania the word spreads quickly.

A mural at the entrance of Freetown Christiania

Don’t miss the chance to explore the area across Dyssebroen

Christiania’s graffiti-painted walls, cobblestone alleys with the smoky bars and cosy cafés are the things that create the peculiar underground atmosphere that attracts locals and tourists. But the area that appears once you cross ‘Dyssebroen’ – the bridge that connects Christiania’s main area (Christianshavn Side) to Amager side – is equally beautiful. Take a walk among the trees and see locals’ colourful houses by the waterfront or relax on one of the wooden platforms and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. In this are of Christiania, you’re free to take photos and even run if you feel like it!

Don’t talk (only) about the cannabis trade with locals

The best way to learn about Christiania is to strike up a conversation with a local. The long wooden tables in the cafés and the relaxed atmosphere in the bars and at outdoor hangouts, creates the ideal conditions for mingling with locals who are always happy to talk about their neighbourhood. Just don’t ask them about the cannabis trade. At least not from the very first few seconds. The cannabis trade has for many years been the main topic of discussion in the media and among tourists so, the area’s residents have answered the questions you have a million times before. Moreover, Freetown Christiania is to them much more than just Pusher Street and they don’t really appreciate it when people seem to only care about the open cannabis trade.

Christiania Jazzclub
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article