Visiting Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, Denmark

Are you planning to visit Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, Denmark? Is it safe to visit Freetown Christiania? And is visiting Freetown Christiania worth it? Then read on and join us as we visit Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen and find the best things to do…

The Freetown Christiania formed in the 1970's when a group of squatters took over a disused military barracks, creating their own autonomous "freetown".

With a laid-back lifestyle and open attitude to drugs, the town has grown into a popular tourist destination. You can visit to see the graffitied buildings, to shop at the arts and crafts shops, and of course to try the cannabis openly for sale on the famous/infamous Pusher Street.

Visiting Freetown Christiania

We enter the community from close to the Church of Our Saviour Copenhagen, walking through a small park and gateway before reaching the edge of the town.

The artwork on the buildings is really cool. The first we see is covered by a large tree with fairies flying around. Another has an apocalyptic scene being guarded by a huge troll sculpture, labelled “The World is in our hands”. And others are covered in cartoon characters, and lots and lots of graffiti.

Pusher Street Freetown Christiania

As we round the corner and head towards Pusher Street, the strong smell of weed hits us, and signs appear showing cameras are banned and no photos are allowed here. 

As we walk down the street Sneha is amazed... “This is not what I expected! It’s way more out in the open, they're just selling from market stalls! I thought it would be more hidden than this!”

We glance at the stalls, trying not to make eye contact with any of the sellers... some with face masks on and hoods up, some brazenly selling in full view. But while it may sound very dodgy, as long as you follow the rule of no photos, you’ll be just fine!

Since we visited it’s been announced that the residents of Freetown Christiania are finally fed up of the illegal activities of the sellers on Pusher Street, and they plan to dig up the street and replace it with more social housing! Whether this happens or not we’ll have to wait and see.

Nemoland at Freetown Christiania

At the end of Pusher Street we reach Nemoland, a large open-air seating area with an outdoor bar and stage in the corner.

During the summer months live concerts are held here every Sunday, but in late February as it is now, the space is filled with people enjoying a beer from the bar, or their purchase from Pusher Street!

Eating in Freetown Christiania

Also in Nemoland is Café Nemoland, a great little spot to have some lunch and get a drink.

The café is surprisingly nicely decorated given the rest of the surroundings, which although cool, are a little rough around the edges. But Café Nemoland could easily be at home in the centre of Copenhagen rather than Christiania.

We both get the local Christiania beer to try while we look at the menu, and it’s nice, crisp and refreshing.

We’re not starving, so decide to order a Nemo burger and Deep fried risotto balls from the menu to share. But once our server has gone back to put the order into the kitchen we spot the specials board and change our mind!

On the specials is a pulled pork burger, and we’re pleased with our change of mind as the burger is really good. But not quite as good as the risotto balls (at least Paul thinks so anyway), which are delicious!

Freetown Christiania Art Gallery & Market

We explore the rest of Freetown Christiania, and we come across a market in an old barn. There are a few gifts, but the majority of things for sale look to be for the residents… tools and hardware for DIY, clothes, and some paints which we assume is for the many graffiti artists!

And just along from the market is one of our favourite parts of the Freetown Christiania, the Christiania Art Gallery.

Here photos are allowed, and the outside of the gallery is just as cool as the inside. A red skeleton smoking a spliff welcomes us, and we go inside and see some really cool works of art.

The art is all for sale, and if we had space to take one back with us, we may well have bought one. But we make do with selecting from the magnets, keyrings, and postcards depicting the same art… we definitely recommend visiting to pick up some souvenirs!

Is it safe to visit Freetown Christiania?

Yes, just follow the rules and you’ll be fine. Don’t take photos on Pusher Street or any of the other areas where there are signs forbidding them. Zero violence is tolerated (but this should be a given when you’re visiting anywhere!). And perhaps most strangely don’t run! Running suggests that there’s something to run from, and in Freetown Christiania, that’s usually the police!

Is visiting Freetown Christiania worth it?

Yes, definitely! Visiting Freetown Christiania is a great experience and one of the coolest and most unique things you can do while in Copenhagen. 

How do you visit Freetown Christiania?

Visiting Freetown Christiania is free and you can do it on your own or on a guided walking tour. 

The 2A bus stops right outside the town and runs from Copenhagen centre. And the M1 and M2 metro lines stop at Christianshavn, a 10-minute walk away.

Read our blog about our visit to Copenhagen to see other things to do in the city... 1 Weekend in Copenhagen… the Top Places to Visit in Denmark’s Capital