Seoul is an ideal place to visit if you want to really get to the heart of Korean culture, in all its strange exoticness! Shops, culture, food, things to see and do: you're bound to find something you'll enjoy during your visit! 

Seoul off the beaten track

South Korea is fascinating when it comes to cookery: each day after work, Koreans meet up amongst friends in restaurants or street stands to talk and relish low-priced dishes.

Discovering the country's gastronomy

Famous Korean National Park, with numerous mountains and Buddhist temples.

Asia

Welcome to the Land of the Calm Morning. The first time you wake up, the meaning of this expression becomes clear. South Korea, a small Pacific country, is among the destinations that has managed to grow while keeping all its traditions. In this Far East country, religion and worship are everywhere. During your trip to South Korea, you’ll find yourself in the middle of some incredible scenery, standing in awe of the most beautiful Buddhist temples. Designed to blend in with the surrounding nature, these places of worship, adorned with very precise colourful patterns, will immerse you in a world filled with peace and serenity. And when you leave the temples and gardens for a few moments, you discover a view that’s just as breathtaking: between the sea and the mountains, grey rock and lush green trees, the diversity of Korean nature has untold beauty. When you visit the area of Seoul, there’s a lot to do: the shopping districts of Insadong and Apgujeong, the Folk Village, Hwaseong Fortress, there’s so much wealth to discover in a region that is home to nearly one if four Koreans today.

South Korea

Mont Songnisan

One of the largest cities of Korea, situated in a basin surrounded by mountains.

Daegu

Several UNESCO-listed sites are to be found in this former Korean capital. 

Gyeongju

An eclectic capital city with wide avenues and thousands of shops, Seoul is a buzzing place that beautifully blends the old with the new. One of Asia's must-see cities!

Seoul

This temple is one of the three most beautiful temples in Korea, an essential visit duringa trip to Korea.

Songgwangsa

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Songgwangsa Temple, "the temple of the vast pine", is a Buddhist centre created in the 12th century, where many famous monks and scholars have received their education. The temple is only accessible after a walk along a trail through the forest. I found the walk very pleasant. The temple buildings are impressive and very colourful because they have undergone many successive restorations (and degradation) over the years.
At weekends the temple offers accommodation in order to share the daily life of the Buddhist monks, with a programme of meditation, vegetarian meals, morning prayers, etc.
During birthday celebrations for Buddha, the temple is decorated with hundreds of lanterns, for a wonderful and particularly photogenic event.

This temple is one of the three most beautiful temples in Korea, an essential visit during<a>a trip to Korea.</a>

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