Traditionally, we explore the world with our MeetnGreeters who are keen to share some insights about the cities as well as glad to let us see them from their own perspective. As such, previously, with the help of our MeetnGreeters we brought to you guides on Moscow, Milan, Pattaya, Barcelona, Bogota and Warsaw. Today we are moving to another destination - Seoul, South Korea.

Eugenia is a student who traveled to Seoul to enroll on a Master’s Degree at Seoul State University. She speaks impressive five languages: Korean, Japanese, Russian, English and German.

“I came to Seoul almost a year ago. Seoul State University is considered to be the best one in Korea. But the reason I chose it is because of its location. The campus is situated in a picturesque area and is surrounded by tall mountains from three sides. Every time you want to stroll around the university, you need to climb mountains :)

If I were asked to describe Seoul with one word, I would say “engaging”. There is everything here you might possibly need. And even more. Mesmerizing views, wonderful landscape, street concerts, romantic sunsets above the river, cosmopolitan community, cozy restaurants, bars, coffeeshops, high-end street with fashion stores and Korean cosmetics shops, summer festivals, karaoke bars everywhere around you, and much more.

Seoul is the city of music. You can always see a lot of street performers here, especially, in Hongdae district or near the river Hangang. This is my favourite place in Seoul. When you are in the Korean capital, you just have to come here at 6pm because they organize magnificent water shows at the Banpo bridge.

Where to eat in Seoul

There is a popular tourist place nearby called Itaewon. It is close to the main US military base. Itaewon is famous for its clubs and bars. But I don’t really like it here because it is usually crowded. However, sometimes I come here with my friends to eat out at European restaurants or drink red wine in a jazz bar with live music. Here you can find any cuisine to your taste: Bulgarian, Czech, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Japanese, and so on. My favourite one is Zelen, a Bulgarian restaurant. The prices are very reasonable, and the food is delicious. You can savour amazing starters here and try tasty homemade wine.

As for traditional Korean food, I personally love Sore (서래) restaurant in Hongdae district where you can try delicious meat. Another popular place is Semi (세미한정식) restaurant where you can choose from a great variety of local Korean dishes. The majority of Korean restaurants specialize in one type of food: grilled meat, noodles, and so on.

Korean sweets and confectionery is something very special. I recommend you try pinsa (빙수). This is an invigorating dessert made of ice with a lot of different fruits, chocolate, coconut milk and some other sweet things. Traditionally, pinsa included only red beans. You can try traditional Korean pinsa almost in every coffeeshop, but the taste will differ from one place to another.

Tourist Attractions in Seoul South Korea

When in Seoul, visit Namsan mountain. You can get here either by bus or on foot. Close to Namsan there is a traditional Korean village which is an open museum. Here you will see the houses where famous Koreans lived. These houses were brought here from different parts of Korea. The view from Namsan mountain over Seoul is breath-taking.

Seoul at night is another local attraction. The most popular building among tourists is no. 63. It has such a name because there are 63 floors here and it used to be one of the tallest buildings in Seoul. There is a wall with wishes there. You can buy a post card in the tower, write a wish on it and hang it on the wall. And your wish will definitely come true ;)

Another place I advise you should visit is the area near the City Hall (시청역) station. On the left there you will see a wonderful Deoksugung palace. Here you can also visit the City Hall, Seoul Library and a large square. They hold a lot of events and fairs here. For example, in May this year they organized Seoul Friendship Fair here where embassies from all over the world presented there national cuisine.

To sum it up, Seoul is a city of contrast, music, diverse and intercultural community, finger-licking local Korean food, mesmerizing views and age-old traditions blended with the modern trends. Come to Seoul and I will help you explore the Korean capital and all its great attractions”.

We thank Eugenia for her insightful advice and superb photos and invite all of you to tell us about your cities and countries. It will be our pleasure to share the stories about you and your cities with the rest of the world.

Just email to us at hello@meetngreetme.com and we will create an interesting article together!