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Take a Stroll Along Seoul’s 140 Spring Flower Paths!
Spring is finally here and what better time to take a stroll along some of “Seoul’s 140 Spring Flower Paths”!
Enjoy over 160 km of flower-filled roadside paths, riverside paths and paths in parks.
▲ Ttukseom Seoul Forest / World Cup Park
Perfect for a Spring Outing 1: Large Parks
For families and couples, the best places to go for a spring outing are the major parks located in Seoul. These parks are conveniently located near various means of transportation and offer various other activities to enjoy as well as food to snack on. Have a great time at parks such as North Seoul Dream Forest, Ttukseom Seoul Forest, and Sangam World Cup Park.
1. North Seoul Dream Forest
Yoshino Cherry trees line the main road in North Seoul Dream Forest, a gorgeous sight to see when they are in full bloom. The park also features thousands of colorful irises and wild flowers. It’s a great place to have a picnic as well. Have a great picnic lunch on the grass lawn while enjoying cultural performances.
2. Namsan (Mt.)
Namsan is covered with forsythias, azaleas and cherry blossoms. Try taking the cable car up to N Seoul Tower or stop by the traditional Hanok (Korean house) teahouse called Mongmyeok Sanbang. No matter which path you wander down to enjoy the beautiful spring flowers, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll also have a wonderful view that overlooks the city.
3. Ttukseom Seoul Forest
You can also find Yoshino cherry trees at Ttukseom Seoul Forest, but the interesting plants, flowers and insects that can be found in this park are the biggest draw here. The butterfly garden in particular is a must-see.
4. World Cup Park
World Cup Park is spread out over a massive area, and therefore features a wide variety of flowers. It’s made up of five smaller parks including Pyeonghwa (“Peace”) Park where you’ll find rapeseed flowers and poppies, and Noeul (“Sunset”) Park with its large forsythia blossoms, irises, rapeseed flowers. If you’d like to stay in the park overnight, Noeul Park offers camping equipment that can be rented out for use on the camping grounds.
▲ Seocho Azalea Ridge / Songpanaru Park / Hangang (River) Banpo Seoraeseom / Cheonggyecheon (Stream)
Perfect for a Spring Outing 2: Small Mountains and Parks in the City
Even though Seoul is a bustling city, there is a surprising amount of natural beauty amidst the chaos. The small mountains and parks located in the heart of the city make for a great spring outing. These places have great paths for taking a stroll and are usually surrounded by cultural spaces and restaurants. Among these, Naksan (Mt.), Seodaemun Ansan (Mt.) and Seokchon Lake (Songpanaru Park) are the most recommendable.
1. Naksan Park
Among the many walking trails in Naksan Park, the trail that goes along the edge of Seoul Seonggwak (Fortress Wall) is the prettiest in the spring when the forsythias are in full bloom. The scenic view of the city from Naksan (Mt.) is also very stunning, and weigela florida flowers can be seen in various parts of the park. The areas of Daehangno and Dongdaemun are nearby, great places to grab a bite to eat or catch a cultural performance.
2. Seodaemun Office
The road behind Seodaemun Office that leads to Ansan (Mt.) is a great place to go for a walk or a bike ride. The path is lined with lovely cherry blossom trees and in the spring, the base of the mountain is completely covered with white blossoms. You can also visit the Seodaemun Museum of Natural History located nearby.
3. Seokchon Lake
There are always many people exercising or going for a stroll at Seokchon Lake, but the lake is the most popular in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The park also features about 300,000 irises and wild flowers that make for a breathtaking sight. Lotte World amusement park is also located nearby, a popular place among children.
▲ Walkerhill Road / Yunjung-no (Road) in Yeongdeungpo-gu
Scenic Drives
If you want to go for a scenic drive, the best roads for forsythias and azaleas would be Gamsawon-gil (Street) in Jongno-gu and Bukgak Skyway. For beautiful pink cherry blossoms, Jeungsan-no (Road) in Eunpyeong-gu, Gomdallae-gil (Street) in Gangseo-gu and Cherry Blossom Road in Geumcheon-gu are the most recommendable.
1. Samcheong Park & Waryong Park
The cherry blossoms in Samcheong Park and Waryong Park are spectacular. The 2-laned road that begins at the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea building and leads up to Waryong Park is the most beautiful flower tree-lined road in Seoul. The road has been expanded to include a new walking trail, great for those who would prefer to enjoy the sights without a car. The neighborhoods of Samcheong-dong and Gahoe-dong are nearby and are great places to go for cultural events. The restaurants of Seongbuk-dong are also worth going to.
2. Bugak Skyway
Bugak Skyway is the most beautiful driving route in Korea. Forsythias and azaleas flourish here, and with the neighborhoods of Seongbuk-dong, Buam-dong, and Sajik-dong nearby, it’s easy to catch a cultural performancance or grab a bite to eat afterwards.
3. Gwanghwamun Square & Seoul Plaza
You can also enjoy a nice drive along the road that connects Gwanghwamun Square and Seoul Plaza. Called Sejongno (Street), this road is lined with cherry blossoms, perennial flowers and tulips.
▲ Samcheong Park in Jongno / Jeungsan-no (Road) in Eunpyeong-gu / Uicheon (Stream) in Gangbuk / Danghyeoncheon-no (Road) in Nowon
Best Places to Go for Walking and Exercise
The flower paths along the Hangang (River) are the best places to go for a walk or exercise. Keep your body healthy and your mind at peace by visiting one of these paths.
1. Hangang (River)
The Hangang (River) is Seoul’s lifeline and it is also where you first see the signs of spring arriving in Seoul. The well-traveled bicycle paths and walking trails along the Hangang become colorfully adorned with rapeseed flowers and newly planted wild flowers. Needless to say a walk along the Hangang is a must in the spring.
2. Jungnangcheon (Stream)
Another great path is the trail along the Jungangcheon (Stream) which flows through the districts of Seongdong-gu, Gwanjin-gu, Jungnang-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Seongbuk-gu, and Dobong-gu. Here you can see cherry blossom trees, rapeseed flowers, roses, irises and a variety of other colorful flowers.
▲ Hyangdong Arboretum in Guro / Sinteuri Park in Yangcheon / Eungbongsan (Mt.) in Seongdong / Cherry Blossom Road in Geumcheon
Places to See Exotic Flowers
Forsythias, cherry blossoms and azaleas are the most widely common spring flowers in Seoul, but here are some places where you can see some unconventional flowers.
1. Irises
The place where the most irises can be found is the Seoul Iris Garden which features 300,000 plants over 52,417 square meters. As the name of the park suggests, a big part of the park is dedicated to irises, a total 130 different species to be exact. In addition to irises, the garden features wetlands flora, various medicinal plants and more.
2. Chinese Fringetree
You can see Chinese Fringetree blossoms along Cheonggyecheon-ro (Road) in downtown Seoul, Sadang-ro (Road in Dongjak-gu and Rodeo Street in Songpa-gu. Many Korean believe that these white flowers resemble puffs of cooked rice.
3. Wildflowers
You can see different types of wildflowers and herb plants at Sinteri Park in Yangcheon-gu, the Achasan (Mt.) pedestrian walkway in Gwangjin-gu, and the Herb Garden in Gangdong-gu.
4. Pear Blossoms
The best place to go to see pear blossoms would be the Jungnang-gu Weekend Farm which features 10,000 square meters of pear blossoms.
5. Roses
You can see roses at the rose garden near Seoul National University at the base of Gwanaksan (Mt.).
6. Herbs
The Herb Astronomy Park near Iljasan (Mt.) in Gangdong-gu features about 120 different varieties of herbs.
Spring Flower Festivals
If you want to enjoy a spring flower festival, head over to the Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, which takes place on April 12 – 18 this year.
1. Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival
The annual Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival is held with over 1600 cherry trees from Jeju origin will bloom, along with more than 90,000 flowers that will delight the senses.