Hi there!
It has been over one year since my last visit to South Korea in summer of 2016 so I was escpacially excited to travel to Seoul again from January 15th to 22nd. Let me show you the most fun and interesting places that I have been to during my short visit to this amazing (but very cold) city!
Adventures in Hyehwa-dong (혜화동)
Let me start by introducing you to the neighborhood where my guesthouse was located. It is called Hyehwa-dong (혜화동) and lies east of Changgyeong palace (창경궁) in the northern part of Seoul. It has it's own subway exit called Hyehwa (혜화역, see red circle on map) which makes it a really convenient place because it is not dead center in the middle of Seoul but rather a little bit on the quiet side with quick access to the subway and city buses.
Hyehwa is also a popular spot for university students to hang out. The most famous street there is called Daehak-ro (대학로) which means 'university street'. Compared to Hongdae (홍대), another popular neighborhood among students, there are a less people and the overall area is smaller. But it is still very fun if you want a more uncomplicated night out.
Hyehwa city gate(혜화문)
Hyehwa used to be one of the outer neighborhoods of Seoul therefore it is located next to the former city wall. The photo shows the city gate located in Hyehwa.
Inside view.
Artwork on the ceiling inside the doorway.
The former city wall of Seoul (Hanyang Doseong/한양도성)
Not many tourists know about the former city wall of Seoul which was called Hanyang at the time when the wall was constructed in 1396. The name 'Hanyang' is a former name of Seoul which was used during the Joseon period (조선시대). Starting from the aforementioned Hyehwa gate you can stroll, walk and hike along the city wall that circles the northern part of the nowadays much larger city of Seoul.
You can find a very detailed map of the whole courses along the wall here.
Let's me show you know some photos that took I while i was talking three different routes along the wall.
From Hyehwa gate to the south
From Hyehwa gate to the north
Starting again from Hyehwa gate the course to the north is a bit more challenging. After about 15 minutes the area gets pretty mountainous and buildings and people vanish leaving you alone with nature and stunning views.
This northern course is pretty long and leads through a forest and all the way up some mountains. Because I had no water on me I ended the course early. You can access Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을) and Samcheong-dong (삼청동) very easily from there if you turn your way back to civilization and enjoy some nice coffee or tea in a beautiful café there.
The city wall at Inwangsan (인왕산)
In summer of 2016, I already visited the city wall but on the other side of the former city limits near Inwangsan. Although this course has the most stunning views of Seoul, because it the farthest up a mountain, it is quite a bit harder compared to the ones I took this year.
The wall starts west of Gyeongbok palace (경복궁). You should check out the map to find the exact location.
An afternoon in Yeoui-do (여의도)
Yeoui-do is a pretty large island located in the Han river south of the Mapo district (마포구). It is know for hosting many headquarters of Korean businesses such as broadcasting stations (방송국)and the National Assembly Building (국회의사당). Furthermore, the shiny golden 63 Building (63 빌딩) is located here. It was the tallest building in Korea and Seoul from 1985 until 2003.
In the middle of northern Seoul (종로구 & 중구)
As I mentioned above, my guesthouse was located in the northern part of Seoul. Therefore I spent most of my time there. Here are some impressions of the surroundings.
A landmark of Jongno-gu: Jongno Tower(종로타워) opened in 1999.
Kakao Friends Concept Museum(카카오프렌즈 컨셉 뮤지엄)
If you ever had contact with a younger (or even any) Korean person through instant messaging, you will know that they LOVE Kakao Talk! And just as much as they love the app itself they have an obsession with the cute emoticon characters who are called Kakao Friends. Because of that, a dedicated museum for those cute creatures has been created next to the Kakao Store in Hongdae. Here are some impressions of how it looks inside:
Traveling is better with a full stomach!
At the end I will showcase some of the delicious food that I ate during my stay. The dish closest to me is usually what I ate.
If you read all until the end: Congratulations! I hope that my future articles won't be that long just because this one here was a summary of a whole week worth of travel. Anyways, I hope you had fun reading my first post and maybe I could give you some tips for your travel plans to northern Seoul!
See you next time!
Marc~