modern office buildings encircling you—it’s one of the
best ways to experience both past and present Seoul in
one spot. The main street of Jongno is mostly dotted
with restaurants and cafes, but explore deeper within
its intricate alleys to pass decades-old restaurants,
mom-and-pop shops, and pojangmachas (tents that open
at night for quick bites and drinks) and life seems to
run just as it did a decade or two ago. Don’t forget
to stop at Gwangjang Market, Korea’s oldest
traditional market, where it’s just as fun to explore
as it is to eat the affordable market dishes that
locals have been enjoying since the market first
opened in 1905. For a break from urban life, walk
along the restored Cheonggyecheon Stream that runs
parallel to Jongno for a moment of natural refuge in
metropolitan Seoul.