Hwaseong Fortress

By moofd

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Stairs up

Suwon is a completely walled city south of Seoul, and nearby you'll find this fortress. It was built in 1794, and is known for its four gates. I'm not well versed in Korean history, so for me the main attraction was walking around the walls, high up on the hills, and looking down on the city. It's quite large, and you can easily get lost.

The Hwaeseong Fortress is also a UNESCO world heritage site. I feel like if I knew a lot more about Korean history, or if any of the signs were in English...or if I didn't visit in the freezing dead of winter, I would appreciate this place more.


The fortress sits atop the city of Suwon. Suwon is accessible by train from Seoul. Once in the city, you can take a public bus to the base of the fortress, and then proceed to walk. It's quite a walk, not always well signed, and there's more elevation gain than what you would encounter in a city.




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