Inwangsan (인왕산) is a rocky hill in the central part of Seoul, which together with Namsan and Bugaksan surrounds
Gyeongbokgung palace. This hill is open 24h a day (but is closed on Mondays). You will find many guard points on the mountain, the only thing the guards wanted from me is not to take any specific pictures of the
Blue House (but I think I would need a way more expensive lens to do any harm).
How to get there
This
hiking area is directly accessible via subway. I went there a couple of times during this stay in Korea, from Gyeongbokgung station (Line3) and via the Dongnimmun station (Line3, exit2). I personally found Dongnimmum station the better option of the two, as it allows you to pass Ingwansa temple (인왕사), for which you can find signs if you walk straight from the subway exit.
The way up is relatively easy and short, and goes along an old castle wall. It is only 338m high, but because of his granite peak (and no trees in the way), it offers great views on central Seoul.
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| Spring scenery |
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| I love the mish mash of houses and streets in Seoul |
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| Panoramic view |
From the top, I went down the other way, from which I could take a bus back to Gyeongbokgung.
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| Way down via the other side |
After I really enjoyed the panoramic view during the day-time, I decided to go up at night as well. The view is just mesmerizing, as you can see on my picture below. The guards at the start of the trail were very friendly and asked my information and how long I intended to stay on the mountain, just in case I would have a little accident on the stairs.
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| Night panorama, the dark rectangular area on the left if Gyeongbokgung Palace |
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