Seoul is the capital and largest city of South Korea with over 10 million people. The metropolis is home to over 25 million people which represents half of the population of South Korea. It has to be one of the world’s most exciting city to live in with an endless number of sights and activities. Think about a 24-hour city that never sleep, a hyper-connected megalopolis, a place for art and creativity fed with fashion and K-Pop, modern skyscrapers with a dynamic business life, small shops and markets with a slow pace local life, a countless number of cheap cuisines and fine dinings from all around the world, an energetic nightlife, a countless number of hikes within a fairly reachable distance from the city center and a traditional influence with multiple temples and palaces across the city. Seoul is all of these things.
Travel-wise, there are many cultural spots to visit such as the Jongmyo Shrine, the Changdeokgung palace, the Gyeongbokgung palace, the Folk National Museum, the Deoksugung palace, the Changgyeonggung palace, the Jogyesa and Bongeunsa temples. In my opinion, all these cultural spots are really not worth it unless it is your first time traveling Asia. All of these temples and palaces have been massively renovated in a way that it somehow destroyed their authenticity.
While Seoul is not the world’s most beautiful city when it comes to architecture, it has to be the most vibrant and pleasant one to explore. The real highlight of Seoul remains in getting lost in the endless number of districts and narrow alleys. Even though you had the chance to live in Seoul for a couple years, you would still discover new districts and areas. Places such as the Tongdaemun market and the Namdaemun market or the following districts – Gangnam, Insadong, Myeongdong, Itaewon, Hongdae, Jamsil, Apgujeong – are a good start to explore Seoul’s vibrancy.
