When planning my itinerary through Scandinavia, I learned that Sweden and Denmark come as close as a few miles. My belief had always been there was quite a bit of water between them. It shocked me to learn there was even a bridge connecting them, which led me to add a stop in the city of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
Denmark is home to a unique experiment in community design. In area once used as a military base, a commune of approximately 850 individuals exists. It is roughly 80 acres in size, originally taken over by the surrounding neighborhood that eventually evolved into a squatter and hippie movement. This area is called Christiania.
There are three rules visitors must follow when visiting:
- Have Fun
- There is no running because it incites panic
- There are no photographs on the main street, called Pusher Street
The contrast between Christiania is distinct in that you actually feel as though you have left Copenhagen. The buildings are smaller and worn out, the area is overgrown with vegetation, and there is graffiti art throughout. The main commodities here are marijuana and bicycles. The city has tried to chase the drug trade out. However, this was unsuccessful because it increased drug problems throughout the rest of Copenhagen. This has created an attitude of tolerance by the police in Christiania. I was quite surprised by the lack of discretion in the transactions taking place on Pusher Street; think of it as a small outdoor flea market, but everyone is selling the same product…On the way out they even have a sign poking fun at how different this area says- “You are now entering the EU.”
// Oliver – Day 36 – Denmark