A center of finance and culture in East Asia, Seoul is the capital and largest city of South Korea. Home to over 10 million people, the city is bustling with energy and offers a great combination of ancient culture and impressive modern technology. Divided into 25 different districts, the city is most easily navigated by subway as there is often a great deal of traffic.

Royal Palaces

Founded in the 14th century, Seoul is the birthplace of Korea’s royalty and offers several beautiful palaces to prove it. Gyeongbok-gung, the most prominent in the city, was the first palace used by the Joseon Dynasty and houses the Joseon Palace Museum and the Korean Folk Museum. Recently placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Changedeok palace has been fully restored and repainted while the Deoksu palace, located in downtown Seoul, is a great example of the fusion of Korean and Western architecture.

Culture and Museums

In Bukchon (North Village) there are over 900 traditional Korean “hanok” houses where relatives of the royal family and high public officials used to live while they serviced the palace. Set between the Gyeongbok Palace and the Secret Garden, the neighborhood features museums and cultural performances that offer a glimpse into what life was like in ancient Seoul.

Temples and Shrines

While visiting Seoul you should visit a temple or shrine, where you’re likely to see an ancient Korean ritual being performed. Mount Inwang is home to the Inwang Temple as well as the famous Shamanist shrine Guksadang and an impressive rock formation known as the Zen Rocks. The Jongmyo Shrine is probably the most popular shrine devoted to royal family members of Korean dynasties and has the best grounds for walking. Take a moment to reflect on Buddhism at the Jogyesa, one of the most important modern Buddhist temples in the country.

Places to See

To get the best view of the city, visit the Narmsan Tower, which was once the tallest tower in Asia. To view some of the most important relics and artifacts from Korean history, visit the National Museum of Korea, which is open every day except Monday. The Korean Folk Village, an outdoor museum, has displays that depict the lives of different social classes and regions of the country as well as live performances of traditional Korean skills.

Entertainment

While visiting Seoul, you must take time to go to at least one of the four entertainment centers located in or around the city. The modern LG Arts Center offers a range of live performances, including concerts, theater, musicals and dancing, while COEX, a large mall complex, is the place to go to enjoy some of the more modern amenities and technologies that the city is known for. Featuring a number of high-end stores, COEX has a traditional movie cinema, an aquarium, a large arcade and stores devoted entirely to Sony Playstation and Xbox.

Nature

Though Seoul is largely metropolitan, there are more and more areas devoted to nature popping up all over the city. Located in the center of the city, Namsen Park is an ecology-island with a mountain and a number of wild animals. Yeouido Park is one of the most frequented in the city and is filled with hundreds of trees and flowers as well as three different ponds, basketball parks and walking trails.

Dining

In Seoul, dining is taken very seriously and the city is known for delicious Korean food. There’s a restaurant located around every corner and visitors should be prepared to be scorned if they ask for an English menu. Korean food is a huge part of the country’s culture so you should most certainly enjoy it while you’re there. The city is also host to a number of Japanese, Chinese and Italian restaurants.

Hotels

Being such a large city, there are plenty of different hotels available in Seoul, many of which cater to those on a budget. Jjimjilbangs offer the least expensive accommodations but visitors here stay in public sleeping rooms and share facilities. The city also has several guest houses, which are ideal for backpackers and resemble traditional hostels.

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