Seoul's Palaces and Street Food: South Korea's Capital in 48 Hours

Seoul is a city of ten million people in a metropolitan area of 25 million, built in a basin surrounded by granite mountains and bisected by the Han River — a geography that has shaped the city's development and given it a series of dramatic urban landscapes. The city was founded as the capital of the Joseon dynasty in 1394 and has been the capital of Korea ever since, surviving Japanese occupation, the Korean War (which destroyed 80 percent of the city), and a period of rapid industrialisation that transformed it from a war-damaged city of one million in 1960 to one of the world's great metropolises today.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, was built in 1395 and destroyed by the Japanese in 1592 and again in 1910. The current buildings are largely reconstructions from the 1990s and 2000s, but the scale of the complex — 57 buildings on a 410,000-square-metre site, with the Bugaksan mountain as a backdrop — gives a powerful sense of the grandeur of the Joseon court. The changing of the guard ceremony, performed in traditional costume at the main gate three times daily, is one of Seoul's most popular tourist attractions.

Bukchon Hanok Village, between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces, is a neighbourhood of traditional Korean houses — hanok — that has been preserved as a living heritage area. The hanok are built around central courtyards with curved tiled roofs and wooden lattice windows, and many have been converted into guesthouses, tea houses, and craft workshops. The narrow alleys of Bukchon offer the best views of the traditional architecture against the backdrop of the modern city, and the area is particularly beautiful in the early morning before the tourist crowds arrive.

The street food of Seoul is one of the great pleasures of the city — a tradition of snacking that turns every market and busy street into an outdoor dining room. Tteokbokki — chewy rice cakes in a spicy red sauce — is the quintessential Seoul street food, sold from carts and pojangmacha (street stalls) throughout the city. Hotteok — sweet pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts — are a winter staple; bindaetteok — mung bean pancakes — are best eaten at the Gwangjang Market, where the stalls have been serving them for over a century.

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, designed by Zaha Hadid and opened in 2014, is the most striking piece of contemporary architecture in Seoul — a flowing, organic structure of aluminium and glass that contains exhibition spaces, a design museum, and a rooftop garden. The building sits on the site of the old Dongdaemun Stadium and incorporates the remains of the Joseon-era city wall that were discovered during construction. The surrounding Dongdaemun district is the centre of Seoul's fashion industry, with wholesale and retail clothing markets that operate 24 hours a day.

The Han River, which flows through the centre of Seoul, has been transformed over the past two decades from an industrial waterway into a series of parks and recreational areas that are used by millions of Seoulites for cycling, picnicking, and watching the sunset. The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain, which shoots water from both sides of the bridge in a choreographed display set to music, is one of the city's most popular evening attractions. The riverside parks are at their most beautiful in spring, when the cherry trees along the banks are in bloom.

Seoul's nightlife is centred on several distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own character. Hongdae, near Hongik University, is the hub of indie music, street performance, and youth culture; Itaewon is the international district, with restaurants and bars serving cuisines from around the world; Gangnam, south of the Han River, is the upscale district of designer boutiques and rooftop bars that was immortalised by Psy's 2012 hit. The best time to visit Seoul is in spring (April-May) for the cherry blossoms, or in autumn (September-November) for the foliage on the surrounding mountains.