Namhansanseong
남한산성
A wartime mountain fortress of the Joseon dynasty on the southeastern ridge of Seoul. Its UNESCO-listed walls run about 12 km, and you can hike along them for views over the city.
Namhansanseong sits on Namhansan at the border of Gwangju, Seongnam and Hanam in Gyeonggi Province. During the Joseon dynasty it served as a temporary royal capital to protect the capital. During the 1636 Manchu invasion (Byeongja Horan), King Injo resisted the Qing army here for 47 days. The fortress was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Highlights include the roughly 12 km of city walls with four gates (east, west, south and north), the reconstructed Namhansanseong Haengung Palace (admission about 2,000 KRW, closed on Mondays), Sueojangdae (Guard Command Platform) and pine-forest trails along the route. Walking the full loop takes about 3–4 hours. The West Gate–Sueojangdae–South Gate section takes about 1.5 hours, and the area around the West Gate is a popular spot for Seoul night views and sunsets. Inside the fortress are many restaurants serving Korean chicken soup and tofu dishes. To get there, take Subway Line 8 to Sanseong Station, then transfer to Bus 9 or 52 for about 20 minutes to the Sanseong crossroads (the terminus). The wall trail is open all day and free.
Opening hours
City walls open all day; palace 10:00–17:00 (until 16:00 in winter), closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Olympic Park, Seoul
- Seokchon Lake
- Lotte World Tower & Seoul Sky
- Lotte World Adventure
- Starfield Library (COEX Mall)
- Bongeunsa Temple
- Dumulmeori
- Seongsu-dong