South Korea’s growing, open-all-hours capital is likewise a location of significant historic pedigree, having actually worked as the heart of the Joseon dynasty for over half a millennium. 5 royal palaces are set out like valuable treasures at its centre, together with ancient shrines and gates. A city wall as soon as surrounded them, however Seoul burst beyond these boundaries long back to turn into one of the world’s most populated metropolitan centres, home to around 10 million individuals. It’s likewise the epicentre of the Korean Wave– likewise referred to as the K-culture Wave or Hallyu– the cultural export that’s swept around the world. Whether you’re amazed by its history or are eager to experience its contemporary side, here’s how to get the finest out of this amazing city.
Check out historical websites
Seoul is soaked in history, with 5 Joseon-era (1392– 1910) palaces to check out. The most popular with visitors are 14th-century Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is the biggest and most colourfully painted, and 15th-century Changdeokgung Palace, home to the splendidly remote Secret Garden. Both palaces have tree-lined tracks and lovely reflective ponds. You’ll see numerous palace visitors, both Korean and non-Korean, using hanbokSouth Korea’s conventional two-piece clothes. Do the exact same, and you can check out all the palaces totally free– there are lots of rental areas around the city.
Other Joseon dynasty sights consist of the huge city gates of Sungnyemun and Dongdaemun, which stand happily at what were as soon as the edges of ancient Seoul. They look mighty by day, however they’re maybe even much better when lit up during the night. Linking the 2 gates are the city walls, which weave through parks and throughout mountains. If you’re feeling energetic, you can walk old Seoul area by area– or perhaps attempt to finish the entire loop.
Simply south of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces, the area of Insa-dong deals a genuine taste of Korean custom, plus terrific examples of conventional wood real estate (called ‘hanok’in Korean) along its myriad alleys. You’ll discover numerous hanok home dining establishments serving tasty Korean food. Conventional cafés surpass coffee shops in Insa-dong– attempt an iced cup of revitalizing, brilliant pink omija-cha (5 flavours tea) or some warming saenggang-cha (ginger tea). Art galleries have actually turned up all over the area, too, together with lots of art supply stores.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, the biggest of the 5 Joseon-era palaces, is typically gone to by individuals using conventional South Korean hanbok.
Picture by Seoul Tourism Organisation
Welcome brand-new customs
Beside Insa-dong, Ikseon-dong is likewise comprised of a zigzag of alleys, however this diverse area showcases whatever that’s on-trend with the city’s youth– cool coffee shops, craft breweries, studios for printing selfies, and stores offering alluring croissant-like salt bread.
A young generation of residents have actually changed a few of the city’s as soon as ignored corners into trendy hotspots. Among the very first locations to be invigorated in this way was Mullae-dong,
