10 Best Things To Do in the City of Copenhagen Christiania

Christiania is an independent city with a great charm and a particular culture that you have to discover during your visit to Denmark. It is located six minutes from the center of Copenhagen and is the ideal place to explore craft exhibitions, spaces such as the Green Light District, murals and street art characteristic of the area, without rules or limitations. Keep in mind that it used to be an abandoned military base and many of its houses have a peculiar architecture and have their own solar panels.

The best way to get from Copenhagen to Christiania is by bus. There are many options for going out in the city, such as taking a tour to taste the popular local beer, enjoying a sauna bath or strolling along Pusher Street, a street that holds a very interesting secret that I will tell you about in this article.

Christiania is characterized for being a small city where murals, street art and craft exhibitions abound. The streets are colorful and cheerful, a proof of this is that Christiania Art Gallery is located right in the center where you can take pictures and learn about the history of its creators.

Inside you will meet Marios and Stephanie, who come from South Africa and bought the house in 2018 to exhibit their creations. You'll discover a variety of objects you can buy and there are always fun activities to share with friends or family, such as live jazz, food stalls and outdoor barbecues on weekends.

Chirstiania is one of the most extreme destinations, as the way the city works is quite unique. The Old Execution may seem like a strange place to visit, but it holds interesting stories about life in the area during wartime and will help you understand the beginnings of the town.

Here you will find fascinating stories and sites, such as the Old Execution Hut from 1946 to 1950, better known as Københavns Gamle Henrettelsesplads or Copenhagen Old Execution Space.

This site was used in World War II and is currently located at Second Redan, near the Aircondition building. The wooden walls have fallen down over the years, but you can still see some of the concrete structure and structures used during the war.

For a cozy and different evening, you can head to Pusher Street where BørneTeateret is located, also known as Christiania's Jazzklub & Children's Theatre an opera house that is home to performances by local jazz artists and children's theater. In recent years they have added new activities such as comedy, hip hop, rock, electronic and country nights.

Jazz is one of the genres of music that has represented Denmark since the 1920s, over time Danish jazz developed, specifically in the 1940s, which reigns today in the streets of Christiania.

During your stay in Christiania you are bound to experience one of the best Scandinavian traditions: enjoying a sauna bath. In the area you will come across the Badehuset Bath House, which has been in operation since 1971. It is one of the most popular attractions so it is advisable to arrive early.

Upon arrival you will find a wall covered with graffiti, so it will be easy to locate the location. Remember that Christiania is a very liberal city, inside is the most fun consisting of saunas and pools, mud bath areas, massage tables with aromatic oils and a space to practice yoga.

The approximate cost of admission is 5 €, which includes access to its lobbies and a towel to dry yourself. You should know that everyone inside is naked, but don't worry! It is a safe and friendly space. Please note that they don't work on Mondays, but you can visit from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

In Christiana there are many places to eat, one of the most special is Spiseloppen which offers a variety of vegetarian, vegan and European dishes. If you prefer meat, there are also steak options on the menu. It is convenient to book a table on their official website, where you can also learn about the variety of options on the menu and their prices.

A dinner at this place can cost approximately 100 € and the best dishes are between 17 and 33 €. You can also order take-out and if you go with a group of six people, the restaurant offers a guided tour of the city, not to be missed!

Other places to eat in Christiania

Walking the streets of Christiania is a unique and fun experience, but you will probably be hungry and want to stop for a bite to eat. You can take a stroll through Nemoland, a coffee bar where you can drink local beers that are only found in this independent city. In addition, concerts are always organized for the enjoyment of visitors. This picturesque place offers a summer and a winter menu, during warm temperatures you can enjoy the garden and when the cold weather arrives the closed facilities by the fireplace are available.

There is street food such as hamburgers, or more gourmet options such as ham tartar, terrine, braised pork and battered mini grignotines, among others. Additionally, this café has been around since 1970 and has undergone modifications, for example, during the war it was a clandestine pub.

Try vegan food in Morgenstedet

If you want to try a new type of cuisine or are looking for a healthier option, I invite you to stop by Morgenstedet, a restaurant with a vegan proposal prepared with organic ingredients. The chefs vary every day, so you won't know what to expect every time you visit.

They are closed on Mondays, but work from Tuesday to Sunday and are located near the factory area. Dishes range from 10 to 15 € approximately and you can find more information on their official website.

Bike tours are highly sought after in Copenhagen, as they allow you to tour the city at your own pace and explore the nooks and crannies at your own pace. This plan is excellent to do in Christiania, since the city is small and hides many interesting secrets.

To make the most of this ride, I recommend taking the Syddyssen trail to go around the city and enjoy the old infrastructure. A very interesting fact is that you will find abandoned boats that are used as houses and are decorated in a cheerful way, according to the hippie aesthetics of the city.

The next point is the Copenhagen Opera House which offers special discounts. A few streets away you will find Pusher Street where karaoke, live music and festivals are organized, from here you can see the whole city. You can also continue strolling the streets and stop at bars built from recycled furniture.

To finish the tour, be sure to stop by Frederiks Kirke marble church, a Lutheran temple with a variety of monuments to explore, or around Amalienborg Palace, one of Copenhagen's finest palaces, which is a six-minute bike ride from the city.

One of the most famous streets in Christiania is Pusher Street, also known as the Green Light District, on the internet there are few pictures of this place, as it is forbidden to document what happens inside. This is the most particular area of the city, at first glance there are stores selling clothes, handicrafts and tourist items, but if you look closely you will find hooded people selling drugs in open-air stalls.

As such, in Christiania is allowed to sell soft drugs, however the police raids because some stalls sell hard drugs that were banned a few years ago. To visit this area, it is best to sign up for a guided tour. Would you dare to live this extreme experience?

In Christiania the houses are very close to a lake that divides the city in two, it is an area that is advisable to approach in a group or with a self-guided audio tour, because some days the surroundings are desolate. Many trails reach this point and you can approach it by bicycle or walking.

The lake is ideal for a picnic and if you walk a bit you can get out of the city and head towards The Little Mermaid, another very popular spot in Copenhagen. Nearby, you can also cross the Dyssebroen Bridge that connects Christiania with Amager, home to other interesting and picturesque tourist attractions.

A must-do during your stay in Christiania is to explore the bars to try Christiania's beer. You can find it in some local places like Nemoland, the Cheap Beer Bar and Bryghus.

The beer called Økologisk Christianias Christianias Thy Pilsner is distinctive because it has the city flag and a rather striking orange wrapper, but the best part is the experience: it is brewed organically and has a fresh, slightly bitter taste with a malty aroma.

Many people come to Christiania to enjoy Den Grå Hal, a concert and recital hall that welcomes artists from all over the world. It was created in 1891 to train horses and after renovations became an auditorium for theater, live music, Christmas markets, art exhibitions, fairs, congresses and much more. One of the most famous bands to have performed here is the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

While Christiania is a small city compared to the rest of Copenhagen, there are still plenty of places steeped in history that you can visit during your time in the area.

Stop by the Christiania Souvenir Shop

The best place to take a souvenir from Christiania is the gift store where you will find a variety of products inspired by the commune's hippie culture, such as shirts, mugs, scarves, flags and stickers. There are several stands scattered around the city and it is easy to identify them because they are red and have a flag consisting of three yellow circles.

Skateboarding

Sports lovers will find a cozy space to practice with their skateboards and meet new people. Being a car-free city, people can walk, play and use their bikes or skateboards without taking risks. There are also special areas, the best point is located in Alis Wonderland, a skateboard park that is open every day , twenty-four hours a day and whose entrance is completely free.

If you visit Christinia in December, don't miss the Christmas market

The colorful city of Christiania welcomes Christmas with lots of joy and special events. It is considered one of the best Christmas markets in Copenhagen and you can access its attractions in the corners of this district. To celebrate, the locals organize a market where you can taste baked almonds, drink mulled wine or enjoy local food.

Cool off in Christiania Strand Park

If you go during the summer, you can cool off in Christiania Strand Park, a park by the ocean with a bohemian style. The best thing about this plan is that it is completely free and is located between Copenhagen and the independent city.

In general, Christiania offers a variety of plans to sign up for, for example near the bike paths, you can rest at Stupa, a Buddhist statue.

Get to know the Christianshavn neighborhood

A few streets away is the Christianshavn neighborhood, where some of the best buildings in Copenhagen are located, such as The Opera House, the Turkish baths Sofiebadet, the Art Gallery of Christiania and the Church of St. Savior which is very famous because it allows you to climb to the top to get the best views of the city.

Christiania was formerly known as Christianshawn and the area was the site of a former military encampment. This camp operated from 1802 to 1822 and then was abandoned for many years, it has now been restored by the locals and operates as a self-contained area with a hippie style. If you want to spend the night in Christiania to continue exploring its streets, it is advisable not to go too far and opt for hotels in the surroundings

To communicate you will need to speak English, because it is one of the languages used by tourists to get around. In Denmark the main language is Danish and other Scandinavian languages, but practically nobody speaks Spanish.

Some curious facts:

• Cars cannot circulate, they are replaced by bicycles.
• It is not advisable to visit the city at night, because some areas do not have streetlights and are dark.
• In the city it is forbidden to run, as this can scare the vendors in the area, who often confuse it with a raid.
• Houses in this area cannot be sold or bought, so they are passed down from one generation to the next. If abandoned, they are taken over by the inhabitants.
• Guided tours cannot enter the interior of Christiania, but they can bring you by bus and give you a guide on what you can do during your stay or offer you an audio tour.