Seoul is the capital of South Korea and with a population of over 25 million, it is the second largest metropolitan area in the world. In existence since 18 BC, the city obviously has a lot of history and like most other capitals, has some interesting museums that display some of that history in their exhibits. With a city the size of Seoul, it will come as no surprise that there are a lot of attractions. Skipping the usual tourist attractions of museums, here is a list of perhaps the 5 most amazing places to see in Seoul.
A Total Shopping Experience
The city offers a shopping experience like no other you have seen, and includes the area of Dongdaemun which is home to 20 shopping malls including the Night Owls Shopping Centre, between them housing no less than 30,000 individual shops. With such a large number of shops you can find most things, but, if fish is your thing and you want another great experience, go to the Fish Market. The Noryangjin Fish Market is 6,000 square meters devoted to the selling of seafood. Some you may not know but can try in the restaurant upstairs.
Witness how Asian Royalty Lived
Gyeongbukgung Palace in English means “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” and when you visit it you will see why it’s named that. The Palace originates from 1395, but although much of it was destroyed in 1592, it was restored again in 1867 and 40% of it still stands today. It is perhaps fortunate that 60% is now missing, as that allows room for the millions of visitors it receives each year, both foreign tourists and locals. With more than 330 buildings and nearly 6,000 rooms, this area which covers over 400,000 square meters is the most visited and certainly one of the most amazing places to see in Seoul.
Have an Amazing Theme Park Experience
Lotte World is massive, the second largest theme park in the world and includes the largest indoor theme park in the world. Magic Island is the name of the outside part of the theme park and it is reached via a monorail from the main park. Within the complex are included other popular attractions such as bowling alleys and an ice skating rink, and so all the excitement you could ever want is contained in just this one huge park.
Panoramic Views of Seoul
Mt. Backhand is the tallest of the mountains that surround Seoul, but at the city’s center is Namsan Mountain and many travel and tour guides will advise you to take the cable car to the peak for some excellent views of the city; but go one better than that by going to the N Seoul Tower. Although the tower located at the top of this mountain is for communications purposes, it also has entertainment and observation facilities, and by observing this amazing and enormous city from the vantage point offered from the tower, you get panoramic views of how magnificent the city really is.
Experience Korean History
Next to Gyeongbukgung Palace is a district named Bukchon Hanok – a village which was left untouched by the city’s huge development in the 1960s. Although some of them now contain small restaurants or little boutiques, this old and traditional housing still stands as a reminder of how ancient Korean villages once looked and together, provide an amazing peek into Korea’s history as you walk the hilly, winding lanes they are built on. Bukchon Hanok lets you step back in time and explore ancient Korea, and it is definitely one of the most amazing places to see in Seoul.
