14 Best Sights in Jung-gu, Seoul

Located next to City Hall, Deoksugung is an oasis in the heart of downtown Seoul. Originally built as a residence for the crown prince, Deoksugung was the only palace to survive the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. Today, it is the most modern of the palaces, blending a European-style garden and fountain with traditional palace architecture. It is also home to the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which features rotating exhibitions of Western and Korean artists. While not as grand as Seoul's other four palaces, Deoksugung is notable for its contrast to the chaos and bustle of the surrounding downtown and makes an excellent stop after a day of sightseeing or shopping. At night the main hall and other buildings are illuminated, giving the palace a quiet, mysterious air.

Seoul's oldest and second largest market is easily its most accessible and interesting for visitors to the city. Filled with vendors selling everything from clothing to cameras to food, this sprawling indoor and outdoor market is not only great for shopping, but it also makes a fascinating sightseeing destination in its own right. An estimated 500,000 people come to Namdaemun daily, making for an energetic and crowded but manageable spectacle. Established in 1414, the market has been destroyed any number of times, most recently after the Korean War, and again in 1968 and 1975. Yet after each setback, this market has rebuilt and prospered. While there is still much history to be found in Namdaemun, to see it now is to get a glimpse of the dynamism and spirit that has propelled Korea onto the world stage.

Housed in the previous train station, Culture Station Seoul 284 is an arts complex that often hosts performances, exhibitions, and events. The building, originally Gyeongseong Station in 1925, was renovated several times before opening in its current iteration in 2011, but many of the rooms have the look and feel of early modern Korea. The station’s Central Hall has a striking glass ceiling worth admiring, and the former barbershop has been converted to a small exhibition center showcasing the building’s restoration.

One of the best-known religious sights in the country, this cathedral opened its doors in 1898 despite political opposition, on the site where Korea's first Christians gathered as early as 1784. More recently, it played an important role in safeguarding human rights activists during labor protests of the 1970s and 1980s. Catholics continue to attend mass here while visitors come to observe the history and the architecture, especially notable as it is one of the first brick, Gothic style buildings in Korea. The Cathedral has an annex with several cafes that are open to members of the congregation and visitors alike.

More of a shopping district than a shopping street, Myeongdong has dozens of small boutiques selling everything from skincare to women's wear and more. These shops often have a small selection of cheaper items set up outside that invite you to come in. While bargaining used to take place years ago, most shops stick strictly to the tag price since a crackdown on price gouging took place around 2014. Unlike similar shopping districts in the city, the vendors in Myeongdong are more likely to speak English (and Chinese and Japanese for that matter) and understand a tourist's shopping needs such as tax-free shopping and bulk purchases for souvenirs.

The only cable car in the center of the city is known for its panoramic views and its history dating back to 1962. As such, it’s been featured in a number of popular K-dramas such as Boys Over Flowers and is often a favorite destination of drama watchers. The glass cable car, which fits as many as 48 passengers, stretches approximately a third of a mile from its entrance in Hoehyeon-dong to Namsan’s peak. Try to visit the cable car on weekdays as you can expect to wait as long as one hour for the three-minute ride on the weekend, and you may have to stand up during the ride if all 48 passengers are packed into the car.

Namsangol gives visitors a chance to see what a Joseon-era village would have looked like. Through reproductions of old hanok houses, Namsangol manages to avoid kitsch and focuses on recreating the mood of an old village and teaching about village life in Korea. The five main buildings are beautiful examples of the type of Korean wooden hanok houses once owned by high-ranking officials. The village also hosts events for Korean holidays like Chuseok and Lunar New Year, making it a great place to visit when many other venues in the city are closed. See the village's website for a variety of traditional experiences you can reserve in advance.

Located at the foot of Namsan mountain, Piknic is an art space that also houses a cafe and bar. Past exhibitions have highlighted immersive visual experiences and include works highlighting Ryuichi Sakamoto, Saul Leiter, and Goo Gi-jeong, to name a few. Exhibitions here are often accompanied by a film in the small in-house theater. Those with tickets to an exhibition can also check out the rooftop for mountain views, though the space’s other facilities are open to the public, regardless of paid entrance. For a splurge, you can combine your art trip with a lunch at renowned French fusion restaurant, Zero Complex, on the third floor.

The ultimate combination of old and new, Seoul City Hall is made up of two buildings: the original City Hall built in 1926 and the annex added in 2012. The original City Hall building is now used as a library and is officially referred to as the Seoul Metropolitan Library while most administrative duties are conducted in the stunning annex. Not your average city hall, the eco-friendly annex has wavelike architecture and one of the tallest vertical gardens in the world, the Green Wall, that make it well worth a visit. The plaza outside City Hall often holds events and free performances. On the lower floor is Citizens Hall, a community gathering place with art exhibitions.

Housed in Seoul's former city hall, this bookworm's paradise is worth a look for the historic architecture alone, but it also has 5-meter (16-foot) tall book shelves and more than 510,000 books. Open to everyone, it's a good place to stop for a quiet moment of refuge during city exploration.

One of the city's main art museums, the Seoul Museum of Art's collection is a balanced mix of Korean and foreign as well as classic and modern art. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum often holds special exhibitions ranging from classic foreign masters to new Korean talent. This is a good stop to see what is happening in the Korean art world. The building itself is a grand colonial-era structure that, though it began life as a gallery, later housed the Korean Supreme Court.

The green space outside Seoul's city hall frequently holds events such as the Seoul Kimchi Festival, Seoul Queer Culture Festival, and the Hi Seoul Festival (dedicated to street arts). Don't leave without snapping a photo next to the popular I SEOUL U sign on the edge of the plaza.

Modeled after New York’s High Line, Seoullo 7017 is a park constructed from an overpass. Built in 1970, the overpass was shut down after being deemed unsafe for cars and after some renovation, opened to the public as a green space in 2017. A little over half a mile, the park is the perfect place for visitors to stroll, taking in panoramic views overlooking Seoul Station and admiring the 20,000 plants that grow here. In the summer, there are a range of events and a dozen public pianos stationed along the way.

One of the four main gates that made up the Fortress Wall of Seoul, Sungyemun Gate (also called Namdaemun Gate) is a designated Korean treasure. It was originally built in 1396 and renovated several times, boasting the title of "the oldest wooden structure in Seoul" for decades. However, a civilian lit it on fire in 2008, and much of it was closed to the public until 2013. It's a great place to stop by in all its reconstructed splendor, and the extra security detail makes your visit feel safe.