A world-famous example of the Dane’s progressive and free-spirited look on life, Christiania is a society within the city, a small utopia with room for everybody including life’s winners and losers. Christiania is unique, there’s no other community like it on earth. More than 1 million people visit the “free city” each year, making it one of the most visited “attractions” in the country. The former military base now houses about 1000 people; some live in imaginative houses based on dreams and built by themselves using old existing materials which were readily to hand whilst others have converted the former army buildings. Christiania is a green and car free zone with shops, nurseries, music venues, cafés and restaurants and an absolutely fantastic Christmas market. This green area is also home to social problems and conflicts but it has existed for almost 35 years and its further existence is guaranteed and protected by special legislation. There are guided tours of Christiania as well as brochure material – you can download the brochure from their website. www.christiania.org

Christiania has a younger cousin in north western Jutland. The Thy Camp, also called The Frøstrup Camp or locally known as “The Camp” was founded in 1970. The original idea was as an alternative summer camp, like a long music festival. But when the autumn weather arrived there was still a group of people who did not want to leave. Instead they built their own imaginative houses and huts as replacements for their tents they had lived in all summer. Suddenly The Thy Camp had become a reality and today it is a “nearly” established part of this very windy corner of Denmark. It is not easy to find but if you arrive in the summer while the “Cool Days in Thy” is on, simply just follow the steady stream of people from the small town of Frøstrup.
Like Christiania the existence of The Thy Camp is ensured by a special legislation.

Many modern and busy people dream about the simple life – to live in tune with nature in a close and comfortably sized village society. The ecological society Dyssekilde close to the village of Torup in north Zealand is based on such dreams. It isn’t the famous idyllic dream of thatched farmhouses and climbing roses nostalgia – it is ecology, visions and very unusual houses. In Dyssekilde you will find the world famous “Earth Dome” which is placed according to the earth’s movement and where a layer of compost functions as a heat source. There are straw houses, clay houses, dome-formed houses which maximize the ecological effect and those built following ancient traditions. The small village society is a lively and dynamic place where visitors, apart from watching the unique houses, can experience workshops, an organic baker, interesting companies and much more. Guided tours available on Saturdays, in even weeks, at 15.00 from 1st April – 1st October. During winter time there are guided tours on the 1st Saturday in each month. The price is 30,00 Kr per adult and it takes between 1 -2 hours.
www.torup-by.dk
www.dyssekilde.dk

The dream about village life was one of the driving forces behind Friland on Djursland in the eastern part of Jutland. Denmark’s national TV- station, DR, has partly initiated this place where 13 families have put their stressful, busy careers and debts behind them to make their dream about freedom and honest, simple living come true. With their own hands they have built houses of straw, wooden planks and other natural materials. In Friland they have become house owners completely free of debts and where, because of the new digital world, they can work from home in the village they built themselves. From being an employee they have become initiators in a small local society. Many Danes have followed their ups and downs on TV watching them making their dream come true – to create a local and powerful centre. The audience also witnessed the determination to fight against longing for the modern comforts most of us can’t live without today.
There are guided tours every Sunday at 14.00 during the summertime from May – October. Please take a closer look at www.dr.d/friland

In the 1970’s many young Danes moved into communes. Most of them have now gone though one of the biggest communes still exists and is thriving. Svanholm is situated about 1 hour’s drive from Copenhagen in the middle of the wonderful Hornsherred nature area in a house which in parts dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1978 the manor house was converted into “communal living” and instead of one owner there were 100. All decisions are made every Tuesday night at their weekly meetings. The running of the manor is based on ecological principles with the production of corn, vegetables, fodder and milk. There are 100 cows - all for milking. There is also a warehouse where vegetables are packed, an ecological building firm, a kindergarten and several small companies. They arrange annual harvest and Christmas markets and there are guided tours the first Saturday in each month between 1st April – 31st October. www.svanholm.dk

Denmark is rich in communities where ecology and a freedom of spirit are the driving forces. Many of them are gathered together under the organisation “Løsnet”.
Here you will also find references and recommendations for places which recommend ecological tourism in Denmark.

Many Danish farmers have chosen to run organic farms with some of them opening their doors to the public. Farmhouse holidays are popular in Denmark and ecological farmhouse holidays are a unique opportunity to try out a simple and healthy lifestyle full of experiences. Here you will also be able to follow the food chain from “jord til bord” - from earth to table - and become a better consumer. On some of the farms you can take part in the work but on ALL farms you eat organic.

“Island Camps” are a particular Danish type of holiday. They started in the 1970’s and are still popular because of the increasing need for a simple and uncomplicated life. The dream gets thousands of Danes to leave their comfortable houses every year to spend one week in the summer with lots of other people in big tents on a small island with basic toilet facilities and having dinner around a camp fire. They also arrange lots of fun activities. Communal spirit is the big driving force. Every “Island Camp” has its own theme and its trademark. Some camps are for children and adults, some are mostly for adults. www.oelejr.dk

On Omø the “Island Camp” is for gays. The woman’s camp is on Femø attracting mostly lesbian woman but they also arrange camps for all women.
www.gaycamp.dk
www.kvindelejr.dk

Loud music, lying in a tent, queuing up for the shower and partying for days on end – that is the holiday dream for tens of thousands of music lovers. They holiday at one of Denmark’s many fantastic music festivals. The most fantastic of them all is the Roskilde Festival attracting more than 70,000 people who every year look forward to this as their ultimate holiday experience. This is really the place for people meeting and the sound of sweet music. But the Roskilde Festival is not the only one. The Danish summer is full of festivals. There is the atmospheric family festival on the idyllic island of Langeland, the beautiful forest by Skanderborg, folk music in Tønder and Skagen, the little cool one in Nibe and much more. Do see the full list of festivals on www.festivalzonen.dk

Denmark is rich on alternative environments where holistic self-development is a key word. There are ashrams, recreational areas, wellness centres and also a holistic summer festival in Tisvilde.
www.holisten.dk/festival
www.retraeteohold.dk