Looking north from Gwanghwamun, one can see little but cascading palace roofs and the mountains beyond. Turn south again and the contrast is almost unbelievably stark. Looming up are the ranked masses of high-rise blocks that announce Seoul’s main business district, its walkways teeming with black-suited businessfolk. However, there’s more to the area than one might expect – two palaces, a few major museums and art galleries, and one of Seoul’s most charming roads. In addition, the country’s largest market and most popular shopping district lie within this area, as does Namsan, a small mountain in the very centre of the capital.
At the western edge of the business district is Gyeonghuigung, Seoul’s “forgotten” palace, which has an excellent history museum just outside its main gate. A stroll east along the quiet, tree-lined road of Jeongdonggil will bring you to a second palace, Deoksugung, which boasts a superb art museum. East again is Myeongdong, the country’s premier shopping district, followed and counterbalanced by the sprawling arcades of Dongdaemun market.
Book through Rough Guides’ trusted travel partners
In-depth, easy-to-use guides filled with expert advice.
The latest articles, galleries, quizzes and videos.
Korean cuisine is world-famous – and with good reason. It's this wonderful food that keeps dragging our author Martin Zatko back to Korea. Here he rounds…
It’s a beautiful, culturally and economically wealthy country with much to see and explore – but South Korea is often viewed as off-limits thanks to its ira…
Though it may appear deceivingly small compared to some of its gargantuan Asian neighbours, South Korea is packed full of unforgettable things to do. While …
