3 Best Sights in Paju, Side Trips from Seoul

This collection of galleries, workshops, cafes, and shops near the inter-Korean DMZ makes for a romantic day trip from Seoul. The planned community of creatives was designed to harmonize with the surrounding landscape, and features several works by locally and internationally renowned architects. It's a fun place to simply stroll around and take in nature, drop in and out of art spaces, and perhaps enjoy a coffee and a dessert. It does get a bit crowded on a weekend, though.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of a guided tour to Panmunjeom, the Imjingak Pavilion, an observation deck overlooking the DMZ area, is a mere subway trip from Seoul. The site is home to several Korean War monuments and artifacts, including a destroyed railroad bridge, a battle-scarred old locomotive, and the historic "Freedom Bridge" that Korean War POWs walked across to freedom. Just next to Imjingak is Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, a sprawling grass field with scenic walking trails and plenty of photo-friendly spots, including the so-called Hill of Wind, a hillock covered with 3,000 pinwheels.

Built in perfect harmony with the surrounding wetlands, Paju Book City is a collection of publishing companies, bookshops, museums, and cafes, established in the 2000s as Korea's answer to Hay-on-Wye on the border of England and Wales. The tranquil community adheres to strict architectural guidelines, resulting in a town of real beauty. The centerpiece is the Asia Publication Culture & Information Center, home of the Forest of Wisdom, a network of 3.1 km (1.9 miles) of bookshelves containing more than 200,000 volumes donated by local publishing companies and individuals. One particular architectural gem is the Mimesis Art Museum, a flowing concrete mass designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Álvaro Siza. Another recommended stop is the Youlhwadang Book Museum, a collection of 40,000 historic and contemporary volumes operated by art book publisher Youlhwadang. Parents, meanwhile, will love MilkBook Cafe, a book cafe that also serves as a learning space where children can learn the beauty and power of the written word.