© Seoul Selection
Namsan Park | 남산공원
Reminiscent of Seoul’s dynastic heritage as a small walled city, a fortress section on Mt. Namsan has recently been restored to its original splendor. The 239-meter-long fortress structure starts across from the Millennium Seoul Hilton and leads up the slope to Namsan Fountain, one of the passageways to the summit. The entire mountain area is known as Namsan Park and brings together tourist attractions, historic sites, and hiking trails. Visitors can gaze upon the stunning city view from the mountaintop. The N Seoul Tower area includes a fence where thousands of padlocks are fastened by young couples and their keys thrown away as a token of their eternal love.
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Namsan is the mecca for donkkaseu 돈까스 (pork cutlet) in Korea, with its eateries lining up along the roadside near the cable car station. The dish offered here is affectionately branded “Namsan King Donkkaseu.” The taste is great for a modest price of 5,000-6,000 won.
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Get yourself a fancy padlock at a local E-mart store and head up to the tower area with your partner. If you are alone, just believe in the biblical passage that there is a season for everything.
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The park’s most popular attraction is the 237 m-tall N Seoul Tower situated on top of the mountain. This multifunctional space has an observatory, restaurants, a museum, a coffee shop, and souvenir shops. Tickets to the observation deck cost 9,000 won for adults and 5,000 won for minors.
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http://parks.seoul.go.kr
(100-177 Hoehyeon-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul | 서울시 중구 회현동1가 100-177)
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Namsan Park can be reached from a number of entry points. To take the cable car, ride the subway to Myeong-dong Station 명동역 (Line 4), emerge from Exit 3, and climb the hilly backstreet past the Pacific Hotel. A stroll along the restored fortress wall from the Hilton will take you to Namsan Public Library and ultimately the tower area within 30 minutes.
