The Mesh of Cultures at Asan Blue Crystal Village

Whenever you read blog posts and articles about sights and places in and out of Seoul that are worth the visit, you’ll find yourself coming across the same suggestions over and over. But what if you have already seen them all and yet feel like you’re not done exploring the country just yet? Or what if you would like to visit somewhere not everyone else has been to yet?

Enter the Blue Crystal Village in Asan, also known as 지중해마을 in Korean. It may not be your typical sightseeing spot in Korea, but it is an ideal day trip destination for foodies and café lovers.

So how do you get there? If you are in Seoul, there are approximately three ways to!
You can take the express bus, the KTX, or the subway. All of these options will take you to Asan Station, from where you should hop onto a local bus to reach the entrance of the “village”.
KTX is naturally the fastest way, but also the most expensive one. Meanwhile, the subway may be painstakingly slow, but you will also pay a lot less.

Now that the SRT line also exists, it may the perfect in between option: it’s not quite as quick as KTX, but it’s also not as expensive. Once at Asan Station, the bus that goes towards the Blue Crystal Village is #777. One piece of advice is to check the schedules ahead of time so that you won’t have to spend too much of your day just on the travel, as these trains and buses run a little farther apart than what you may be accustomed to within Seoul.

And what’s there to see once you actually get to the Blue Crystal Village? It’s mainly a cute little neighborhood with tons of restaurants and cafes, hence it being ideal to foodies and café lovers.
All of them have their own style and charm, making it so that you’ll want to visit several on your trip instead of choosing just one!

The exterior on the streets, on the other hand, follows the same theme throughout: Mediterranean. No longer do you need to take a plane to Greece to find yourself surrounded by bits and pieces of its aesthetic! Of course it won’t be the same thing, but it’s also the perfect environment for those who want a quick and small break from the bustling Seoul life.

One great sample itinerary for the day is the following. Start off with a panini or sandwich brunch at Casa Mingo. Then get yourself a flower bouquet and some coffee at furni-B. After walking around the village for a bit and perhaps even having a little photo shoot, go for another round of coffee at the exceptionally adorable Oh La La J’s. Finally, before heading back home for the night, grab a delicious dinner at Okinawa Blue, an Okinawa-themed burger place. And voila!