The capital of South Korea, a multimillion-dollar metropolis with convenient ultra-modern infrastructure and excellent roads, manages to remain very green. The hills, among which the city spreads on a grand scale, are covered with parks and squares, where you can take a breath after walking along the noisy streets.
Namsan Mountain Park in central Seoul is dotted with hiking, jogging and cycling trails. Here you can see fountains, a marine aquarium, outdoor exercise equipment and satisfied athletes of absolutely all ages.
At the top of the mountain is the N Seoul Tower with an observation deck. To visit there during the day and in the evening is a must have for any traveler. The views of the capital are magnificent. Entrance to the tower costs 16,000 KRW (about 940 rubles).
You can climb the mountain by cable car, but it is better to walk along the stairs among the trees, admiring the panorama of the city.
Namsangol Hanok traditional village. Here there is every chance to doubt that you are in the heart of the 21st century metropolis. There are several authentic Korean houses built in the village with utensils and handicraft tools that you can touch and turn in your hands. Apricot trees, traditional gardens, a pond with red and white carps, silence – and now you are already relaxing on a bench in the shade of a sprawling pine tree.
Bukchon Hanok Village. The historic quarter, where every cobblestone and tile of an old house breathes Korean culture and takes you back 600 years. And here you can also find a school where numerous Korean dramas were filmed.
Cheonggyecheon Stream Park. A unique place where you will understand why South Korea is called the country of the economic miracle. For 40 years, the creek, a hotbed of unsanitary conditions, around which the poorest shacks huddled, has turned into an 11-kilometer park – one of the favorite vacation spots for citizens and travelers, surrounded by greenery, fountains and skyscrapers.
Palaces of Seoul – the cultural heritage of dynasties
The visiting card of the capital is the luxurious and majestic palaces of the royal Joseon dynasty. Most of them, alas, were destroyed, but qualitatively and in detail reconstructed. So you can easily imagine how the richest and most powerful people of the country lived in the XIV-XIX centuries.
You can spend several hours wandering among the bright pavilions with carved roofs of the huge complex of the main palace of Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbokgung). Then relax in the Secret Garden of the Eastern Palace of Changdeokgung (Changdeokgung). Then go to the pagodas of Changgyeonggung Palace, and then go back to Gyeonghuigung and Deoksugung Palaces.
Seeing all the palaces at once is not an easy task for the legs and head, so it’s better to spend a couple of days on their leisurely exploration.
Always in moving