Christianshavn, the Old and the New

Today Ian booked us into a walking tour of Christianshavn. We met our guide Simon at the allotted time, to discover we were the only ones on the tour. Simon is very passionate about Copenhagen and its history. He is a lawyer currently between gigs and recently started up the company “Lost With a Local” with three friends. He also does a pastry tour of Copenhagen which we decided to book in to for tomorrow.

We started off hearing about the history of Denmark and the ‘standout’ Danish King, Christian IV, who was responsible for building up Denmark into a powerhouse of influence and wealth. He reigned Denmark and Norway for 59 years, the longest in Scandinavian history, and is remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish-Norwegian kings, having initiated many reforms and projects. Christian IV obtained a level of stability and wealth that was virtually unmatched elsewhere in Europe at the time. He had a number of new fortresses built under the direction of Dutch engineers. The Royal Dani-Norwegian Navy grew from twenty two vessels in 1596 to sixty by 1610. He also encouraged overseas trade, founded a number of merchant cities, supported the building of factories, and oversaw a large number of buildings built in the Dutch Renaissance style.

Following this introduction, we wandered around the old part of Christianshavn, along canals and down narrow streets as Simon pointed out the architecture of various periods, and where the integrity of the building had been maintained even when the building was updated. We briefly visited the Church of Our Saviour, a baroque church, most famous for the external staircase that can be climbed to the top, offering extensive views over central Copenhagen. It is also known for its carillon (a musical instrument that consists of a set of at least 23 bells that have been precisely tuned to produce the notes of a western scale), which plays melodies every hour from 8am to midnight.

We then walked through Christiania, the famous Freetown of Copenhagen. Christiania was founded in 1971 when a group of squatters cut a hole in the fence to the disused military barracks in Bådmandsgade. Soon the area was known for Pusher Street, where you could buy hash and pot, but no hard drugs, from various stalls. Simon said it was tolerated by the authorities because the barracks were contaminated, and they couldn’t be bothered cleaning it up. To this day, many of the original settlers still live in the collectively controlled village, and the area has a clear 70’s feel to it. Many of the people living in Christiania built their homes themselves, giving the area an interesting architectural feel. There are also a number of eco-restaurants, workshops, galleries and music venues.

Christiania existed under special conditions for 40 years, with constant conflicts and clashes between the local residents and the Danish state. After many years of uncertainty about its future, an agreement was reached in 2011, which meant that on 1 July 2012 the Foundation Freetown Christiania was formed. This now owns the entire part of Christiania located outside the protected ramparts and leases buildings and land on the ramparts, which are still owned by the state. Up until quite recently (April 2024), the area around Pusher Street was controlled by organised criminal groups. Earlier this year, after a number of violent incidents, the police, together with the support of the people of Christiania, removed this criminal element. It is a really funky area with lots of urban art and other art around the grounds. About 900 people call Christiania home.

We left Christiania and made our way through some newer parts of Christianshavn down to the new Opera building. We had seen it on the canal cruise, and from the other side of the harbour, but did not really appreciate the size and magnitude of the building until we were standing right in front of it. It is very impressive indeed.

We parted company with Simon and headed back over to a restaurant he recommended for a late lunch. We shared two Smørrebrød, a herring with mustard sauce, a boiled egg and capers, and a fried fish with shrimp and a rémoulade. Both were delicious, but we both preferred the herring. Ian had dill schnapps and a beer with lunch, and I had a glass of Chablis. We then shared pancakes with apple compote, toasted almonds and cream, and a golden delicious schnapps and coffee. After lunch we popped into Hart, a bakery opened by the pastry chef from Noma, and grabbed a few treats for tonight. We ended up walking nearly 13kms today, which isn’t too shabby! At night we again had a light meal and an early night as tomorrow is going to be another big day.Read more