June 15 – Explore Christiania – Tivoli Gardens – Glyptotek Museum – Open Air Ballet – Open Air Classical Concert

Accommodations: Scandic Palace Hotel

This morning after breakfast, we took the bus to explore Freetown Christiania. Christiania was founded in 1971, when a group of people – hippies, artists, and activists – cut a hole in the fence to an abandoned military barracks, and declared the area a free town, independent of Danish government laws and regulations. While it has since accepted some adherence to Danish law, it is still semi-autonomous today, and is a haven for artists, musicians, and those seeking an alternative lifestyle.

We met with a local resident of the town, who said to Heidi, not realizing she had on a hot mike, “I’m kinda nursing a two day hangover!” That was what we heard in our ear pieces. Too funny!

There are about 900 people in Freetown, and most of the people have built their own primitive housing. The houses do have electricity and water and the residents do pay taxes to the Danish government. There is a doctor in residence, but most of the people prefer to be treated with alternative methods first, before seeking medical care. They do get vaccines.

The people can buy things they need in the shops and there are organic restaurants, art galleries, and gardens. I have never seen so many gorgeous shades of roses that are growing all over the place. Cameras are prohibited in certain areas to protect the alternative nature of the community.

Christiania is run by its residents, who collectively make decisions through a consensus-based democratic process.

Since its opening, Christiania has been famous for its open cannabis trade, which took place on Pusher Street in the community. When local residents removed the Pusher Street stalls, it was estimated that the cannabis sale dropped by about 75%. As of June 2023, there were numerous cannabis sellers on Pusher Street openly selling their wares from makeshift stalls with spray painted signs advertising the strain of cannabis for sale. In August 2023, residents had had enough and they blocked the entrances to Pusher Street with concrete barriers and bars, but it is still sold on the quiet. Cannabis is illegal in Denmark, so if the police catch you buying it, you will be arrested.

In 2012, the Danish government offered to sell most of the land that Christiania was on to the residents at below the market rate, and offered guaranteed loans. In exchange, the Christianians promised to upgrade and maintain water, sewage, and electrical services, and preserve rights of way and “rural” areas.

It was a very unique and kind of crazy learning experience. I think Rick Steves, the travel guru, sums it up when he writes:

“A few years ago I received an email from some readers who’d visited. They said: ‘We’re not prudes, but Christiania was creepy. Don’t take kids here or go after dark.’ A free city is not pretty; I agree. But watching parents raise their children with Christiania values, I came to believe more strongly than ever in this social experiment. Giving alternative-type people a place to be alternative is a kind of alternative beauty that deserves a place.”
Amen!

After chatting with our guide, we all boarded the bus to go to Tivoli Gardens, the second-oldest amusement park in the world, that opened in 1843. We enjoyed lunch there, but Allan and I weren’t interested in going on any of the 30 rides they have, so instead we went to the Glyptotek museum. We toured the Degas exhibit, the Egyptian exhibits, as well as the numerous works by Norwegian-Danish sculptor Stephan Sinding that were on display.

After the museum, we went back to Tivoli Gardens to see the ballet performance of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale Clumsy Hans, in the open air theater. It was very good. Then we went to another open air theater to see conductor Phillip Faber and hear his orchestra play classical selections, alongside soprano Louise McClelland. We were treated to music by Mozart, Vivaldi, and Strauss and Ms. McClelland sang Summertime and finished with O Mio Bambino Caro, one of my all time favorite arias.

And then…Allan and I finished the day with McDonald’s. It was really delicious, but we didn’t have ketchup for our fries, because we didn’t realize… they charge extra for it and we had already paid for our meal.

Our guide in Christiania

One of the buildings

The residents build their homes and on-site is a warehouse with recycled material from previous homes, that the people can purchase and use to build with.