Dubbed as '
the heart and soul of Seoul',
Insadong is one of the most note-worthy neighborhoods in the city and a must-go destination for anyone visiting South Korea. I regret not visiting this place earlier, considering that we have been to Korea twice in the past. Better late than never, as they say, and we finally had the chance to explore this quaint and charming neighborhood during our month-long stay in Korea last winter - our third visit to the country that I call my second home.
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| I heart Insadong, and you will easily fall in love with it, too! |
Conveniently located between the Five Grand Palaces of Korea,
Insadong Street stretches over 700 meters between the
Anguk-dong Rotary and
Jongno 2-ga. The latter is located near the
Jongno 3-ga Station, so we chose to go to Insadong via this subway station
(Line 5). Another option is via the
Anguk Station, but I chose to stay away from this line
(Line 3) after my horrendous experience with the transfer on our way home from
Changdeokgung and
Changgyeonggyung Palace last spring.
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| Tapgol Park. |
As we made our way to Insadong from the Jongno 3-ga Station, we passed by
Tapgol Park, the first modern park established in Seoul. Also known as '
Pagoda Park', this tourist attraction is home to an abundance of national treasures, including the
Palgakjeong, an octagonal pavilion built in 1902.
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| The Palgakjeong. |
More of Tapgol Park and Insadong after the jump!
