Seoul is a great mix between big city buzz and wonderful nature. The Korean capital is located besides some wonderful mountains where the locals and tourists climb to the top for a great view of the town. Seoul also has a pretty blue river floating through the city. Around the river, you can rent a bike and enjoy the fresh air around the river. I’ve got to tell you that both hiking a mountain or biking around the river are perfect date options. Let me tell you my story.
Let’s hang with the young Koreans in Hongdae
Hongdae is one of the modern university areas in Seoul center. The area is filled up with happy young people walking the streets linking arms with their besties, BFFs or new lover. The average age here cannot exceed 24, according to what I’ve seen. The young people’s smiles and chatting are making the atmosphere light and easy-going.
Take me back to the Korean Folk Village
If you aren’t tired of Korean history yet then you should come with me to the Korean Folk Village. This village is another replica of old times where small markets and old houses made of wood are placed around a cute lake/river-something and pretty rice fields (or so I think, maybe they were corn, who knows?).
First Namsangol Hanok Village, then Namsan Mountain
After wandering around the city for days, everyone needs a little bit of extra fresh air and some actual clean trees so why not spend an afternoon exploring a small village of traditional Korean houses and then a hike up the popular Namsan mountain where the view of the city is the best place to enjoy the sunset while eating an ice cream or drinking a diet coke if you’re trying to keep kind of fit like me (big fail but still trying).
Dress up in Hanbok and walk Gyeongbokgong Palace
The most traditional you can become is when you get dressed up in traditional Hanbok dress and go to a cultural place to take photos. This you can do in Seoul. There is this great little shop called Onedayhanbok where you can rent a dress for four hours or a whole day and then go out and take photos all around town. I loved this way of exploring the Korean traditional culture in a new way because I usually just have a walk around the impressive palaces and temples in Asia but dressing up as well is a new and super fun way of going back in time.