Recommendations: Sightseeing in Copenhagen, Denmark

There are lots of beautiful things to see and visit while in Copenhagen, but if you have merely a day there are a few things I personally think you should not miss.

In chronological order I suggest that you start at The City Hall Square, in front of Palace Hotel.

If you have a lot of time you could pass by Rosenborg Castle, where the Crown Jewels are protected by the Royal Guard. Otherwise just walk down through the main street (strøget) until you get to Kongens Nytorv. Here you will see the beautiful Royal Theater, world famous for its Royal Ballet.

Go to Nyhavn which is the colourful canal district right by Kongens Nytorv. Here I suggest you take a boat tour. If you go to the boats on the right side of the canal a boat tour only cost you 30 kr (5 $) for one hour. It is really worth your while.

Afterwards take a stroll along the waterfront to Amalienborg Palace – winter residence of the Royal Family. Here we have the opportunity of seeing the changing of the Danish Royal Guard. This should be followed by a visit to the Gefion Fountain and The Little Mermaid, inspired by H. C. Andersen’s fairytale. At the moment she is, however, on vacation and not there.

Go back along the water front and head over to Christiansborg Palace, home to the Danish Parliament and the Old Stock Exchange. After that I suggest that you go to Christiania – the freetown. It’s a lovely artist village established in the 1970s where you will be able to see an alternative way of living and eat some lovely (vegetarian) food.

Tivoli Gardens is a lovely place to end the day and spend the evening.

Have a lovely visit.

Excursion to ComPeung artist village in Doi Saket

This Saturday we went for an excursion to visit ComPeung artist village at Doi Saket. ComPeung is the first non-governmental artist-in-residence program in Thailand. Founded in 2005 by artists who believe places that resist the conventional art’s obsession with selling rather than content are needed. Alternative places that experiment with and question the role of art, artists’ positions, and the interdependence of art and society. ComPeung aims to be one of these places, open to all who share the importance and the compassion for creativity.

The actual ComPeung site, comprising of a total of 112 ares (2.8 acres), is situated in the outskirts of Doi Saket town and surrounded by hills, forests and natural lakes. All the houses in ComPeung are made from mud and bamboo and it aims at being environmentally friendly.

Local and international artist are invited to come and live there for one to three months. The artist pays 27.000 baht (860$) per month for housing, three meals a day and the right to utilize the surrounding space as they please. Artists also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and share experiences through the process of creating artworks, developing conceptual projects as well as participating in workshops and other ComPeung activities.

While visiting we spoke with Ong who is the manager of ComPeung. He is a very friendly young Thai man with excellent English. His idea for the village arose from travelling and his art studies at Chiang Mai University. He explained to us that they are also building a small hut for tourist/visitors to stay in for a shorter period of time. We enjoyed the afternoon very much and definitely recommend people to make their way to this off-the-beaten-tourist-track site.

For directions to ComPeung visit their website – http://www.compeung.org/indexB.html
You can view more photos in our Flickr account – http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthoria.

ComPeung artist village in Doi Saket