Top places to catch a great view of Seoul
Top places to catch a great view of Seoul
Seoul is a beautiful and fascinating city, full of life and dynamic. It is home to about 10 million people. It is said that the city “never sleeps”. Seoul is mostly known for its modern architecture, but it’s surrounded by a lot of mountains, so it’s actually also close to nature. The city view is amazing both by day and night. By day you can see the skyscrapers surrounded by mountains and by night Seoul is beautifully lit. The places where you can get a great view include the incredibly high towers, but they’re not the only limitation. Let’s check out the great Seoul view!
Lotte Tower
The 6th tallest building in the world and the tallest building in Korea, Lotte Tower measures 555 m and has 123 floors. It contains Korea’s tallest observation deck, so it’s sure you’ll get a great view of the city. Because of the tower’s amazing height you can catch a glimpse of every corner of Seoul. Lotte Tower offers not only the observation deck but also an enormous shopping mall, an aquarium, a classical music hall, Asia’s biggest multiplex and much more. It is also in the vicinity of Lotte World, the amusement park. It’s surrounded by Seokcheon Lake, which is a popular destination for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Lotte World is definitely a must-visit in Seoul.
Address: 05551 300 Olympic-ro (Sincheon-dong), Songpa-gu, Seoul
Directions: Jamsil Station (subway lines 2, 8) exits 2, 11, roughly 5 min. away on foot
Namsan Tower
Located on the Namsan mountain, Namsan Tower is one of the most known landmarks in Seoul and a very popular tourist attraction. The tower’s own height is 236 m, making it one of the tallest buildings in Asia. The tower changes colour depending on the air quality in Seoul. It is most known as the perfect place for couples, as they can leave a ‘love lock’ on the top of the tower. The atmosphere is also very romantic, as the place is beautifully lit. The staff also offers to take couple photos. The tower also offers an amazing view of Seoul. The interesting thing is that names of many world cities and their distance from Seoul and written on the glass. Namsan Tower also offers a cable car so more of a great view of the city! A date on Namsan Tower is a must in Seoul.
Address: 105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Directions: Take the bus from the closest subway station: Myeong-dong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 3 or Chungmuro Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2 (in front of Daehan Cinema).
63 Building
Built in 1985, 63 Building was once the tallest building in East Asia and the symbol of Korea’s economic growth. It measures 249 m and has 63 floors, hence the name. It is located in Yeoui-do in the vicinity of the Han River and the surrounding Bugaksan, Namsan and Gwanaksan mountains so you can catch a great view. The thing that distinguishes this building is its golden glass, which reflects the sun at sunset giving the tower multi-colored sheen. The building offers not only a view, but also contains an aquarium, art gallery, IMAX cinema, performance hall and a wax museum.
Address: 07345 50 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea (Yeouido-dong, 63 building)
Directions: Yeouido Station (subway lines 5, 9) exit 5, take the 63 Square shuttle bus
Hyehwa-dong
One of the trendy neighbourhoods in Seoul, Hyehwa-dong is known for its street called Daehakno, literally the “University Street”, where young people hang around. It offers karaoke bars, cafes and restaurants. One of Seoul’s oldest coffee shops, Hakrim Dabang is located here. While sightseeing through Hyehwa-dong you can visit the Ihwa Mural Village where you can see great street art and unique urban architecture. While strolling the village there is a hill where you can catch a great view of Seoul, especially at sunset. Besides, you can get there for free and just by taking a walk. Located in the vicinity, Naksan Park also offers a great view of the city. Hyehwa-dong is a great place to hang out with your friends.
Directions: Hyehwa Station, line number 4.
Mountains
What’s a better place to get a great view of the city for free than mountains? Hiking is a good opportunity to see a completely other side of Seoul. You can see that the city is not only a jungle of skyscrapers, but is also surrounded by beautiful nature. There a lot of mountains near Seoul to choose, including Baebongsan, Bukhansan, Achasan, Gwanaksan and much more. If you’re not a fan of hiking, smaller hills are also a good option. Poet Yun Dong-ju’s hill is a good destination. Located in a clearing in Ingwansan, the hill is located near the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum which is also worth visiting to get to know about the poet’s life. The hill doesn’t require much climbing but it offers a great view on Seoul’s unique nature.
Poet Yun Dong-ju’s hill
Address: 119, Changuimun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Directions: Take bus 1020, 7022 or 7212 from Gyeongbokgung Station (subway line 3), exit 3.
