Christiania was a former military base that was occupied in the early 1970s by hippies squatting in the abandoned barracks.
It has had many ups and downs in its history, and just lately has become the number 4 tourist destination on Trip Advisor. Its location just across the water from downtown Copenhagen means there is pressure from developers who are eyeing the now valuable land.
But for now it remains colourful and independent, and filled with murals, graffiti and architecture that all made me smile.
We wandered across a small bridge and ended up in an area that appeared to be somewhat industrial. Or perhaps anti-industrial?
The Letter R, a sculpture in front of row housing. 
From there our walk meandered through a rural area along the water, past a lot of makeshift homes and broken-down boats, most bright with murals or graffiti.
Graffiti on the side of an abandoned boat.
The path led into a wooded area with more conventional homes and these bright graffitied dumpsters.
Perhaps conventional isn’t the right word to describe these home/castles which are another form of street art. 
Another home/castle, also decorated.
Detail of the three-dimensional frieze above one of the windows.
The bikes add a three-dimensional note to this mural on an old brick wall. 
There were a lot of dumpsters and walls adorned with a mix of murals and graffiti.
Even this burnt fence did not escape some mad painter’s frenzy.
There was a town centre of a sort, also brightly painted, and full of shops, small cafes, people and the cheapest coffee to be found in the city!
More of the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Street Art.
Albatz Travel Adventures 
Quite an array of street art Elizabeth! I visited Copenhagen many years ago – probably before any of these were created. Interesting how times change
Christiania has gone through a lot of changes, and it appears that there are many more to come!
Nice find.
My cousins who live in Denmark told me about it – I was a bit alarmed to find it #4 of things to see on Trip Advisor though!
Great take on this week’s theme, Elizabeth! I love the variety of art here and your impressions of this creative part of the city. I hope it doesn’t lose its character when it becomes hot real estate. But, I suppose it’s inevitable that new areas will spring up around the old.
My city, Vancouver, is going through massive changes and growing pains – I guess you can’t go back to the past but sometimes I would sure like to slow down all the changes – I have to assume the people of Christiania who have been there aren’t necessarily happy with becoming pricey and a tourist destination!
I love Vancouver. (Our son lives there.) I understand the growing pains your city is experiencing.
Great capture of the graffiti art. I remember wandering through this area when I was in Copenhagen and there were a lot of guided tours happening at the time.
I didn’t realize there were guided tours; we just sort of meandered over a bridge and there we were. This is probably the best way to see something – all the history can be googled nowadays anyway…
Christiania is always controversial – you caught it very well!
Nice. ‘Anything goes!!’
I thought it was forbidden to take pictures there. Have you seen any signs or have they given in by now? I was there a long time ago, about 15 years or so. Or did you work around the signs? 😉
I read that you shouldn’t take pictures of people without permission but they seem to be aware that being a tourist destination means cameras everywhere!
When I was there, there were many notifications, and phones didn’t have good cameras yet. There was still a bit of that ghetto vibe. The place was raided by the police regularly. Everything changes, I guess.
Pingback: Framing Images in Denmark | Albatz Travel Adventures·