Pisserenden

If you’re tired of the hustle and bustle and innumerable tourist traps of Strøget, all you have to do is walk a few hundred meters to the north west. Here you’ll find a charming neighbourhood with narrow streets, crooked and colourful houses and a young and creative atmosphere. Pisserenden (roughly translates to “The piss gutter”), or the Latin quarters as it is also called, is the popular name for the old Nørre Kvarter. The area is known for its many specialty shops, second hand shops, restaurants and bars and is outlined by Nørregade, Vestergade, Vestre Voldgade and Nørre Voldgade.

History

Pisserenden has a rather notorious past and through the decades it has reflected Copenhagen’s less respectable side: the avant-garde, the anti- authoritarian and the sometimes illegal. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the district was a bit of an immoral area with lots of drinking, violence and prostitution. You could barely move without bumping into a bar, a brewer or a prostitute. But in the 1960’s, as was often the case with proletarian and less respectable neighbourhoods, Pisserenden became a haven for writers, artists and other creative people with the need for cheap accommodation. The area slowly changed character from a drunken den to an artistic and musical centre. In the 70’s the bohemians moved in and opened their shops and in the 80’s the punk rockers gathered at Gammel Torv.

But it’s only during the last ten years that Pisserenden has become a somewhat respectable area. Today there are not as many bars and the frivolous life style has been replaced with a more mundane café culture. Where poor students once crowded together in cheap rooms with a shared bathroom in the hall you’ll now find expensive flats, and the area has become a gathering point for the hip and trendy, for artists and wannabe’s.

Shopping and food

There are more than 400 businesses in Pisserenden. You’ll find most of them on or around the three main streets, Studiestræde, Larsbjørnsstræde and Sankt Peders Stræde. The shops here are fairly alternative and differ a lot from the mainstream shopping on Strøget. There’s a lot of trendy design shops, art galleries and specialty shops. If you’re looking for a second hand outfit, Pisserenden is the right place for you! You’ll find cute vintage shops like Carmen & Fantasio, Retro Sales and Femme Fatale. But Pisserenden is also a haven for music lovers because it has shops like Laserdisken, Blackout and Sex Beat Records, where you’ll find all those films and records that you can’t get anywhere else in the city.

When it comes to food Pisserenden has a lot to offer. There are lots and lots of cafés and restaurants. For instance, you can enjoy French gourmet food at L’Education Nationale, eat exotic and healthy food at Atlas Bar or Thai food in one of the oldest Thai restaurants in Copenhagen, Flyvefisken. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth a visit to Dessertdragen or Creperie La Galette is recommended. And if you’re more in the mood for a quick bite to eat you can get a sandwich or salad at Fiensmækker. Or how about a cup of coffee at Risteriet?

Festivities in the streets

It is said that Pisserenden got its name from the unpleasant stench that lingers over the streets on a Saturday and Sunday morning. With its location between the University of Copenhagen and Rådhuspladsen, Pisserenden has always been characterised by the students. Now as then it’s the young people that keep the area’s night life going, and it’s very much because of the students that popular bars and night clubs like Jailhouse Cph, Cosy Bar, Diskotek In and Krasnapolsky have flourished.

Every summer there’s a street party in Pisserenden. This is an opportunity to experience the street market, out door servings of food and drink and DJs and live music on Live Scenen.

Published 2008-10-29 13:40