Insadong Hanok Village - a fusion of tradition and modern delights

With only a few hours to explore Seoul, after Cartoon Street we went to Insadong Hanok Village for lunch, to both see an old hanok village and funky modern Korea melted into one spot. 

Hanoks are the traditional Korean houses, and around Seoul there are are a few to visit, some in the historical sense but the Insadong one is the Instagrammer and Foodies delight. Big on charm and artistic cool vibes.

There is some parts where people still live, so you can't take photos there, but it's fun to get lost and weave around the little lanes to discover gardens or charming doorways.

The mix of old and new adds to the visual appeal, as do the bright colours and decorations.

Christmas was still in full swing even though it was mid January. I was surprised how many offices had trees up in their foyers. It did add to my idea that Koreans are really fun people, and like to celebrate and enjoy life. 

There's clothes shops and jewellery and street food and restaurants, and then even certain high end grocery items. However, it's a visual delight so plenty of entertainment if just looking!

The only difficulty is choosing where to eat!

However, I doubt you'll be disappointed!

We pottered about trying the delicious street food and then settled on a Korean restaurant for lunch (though Italian and French offerings were there, as were breweries.) The food was sensational even though we didn't really know what we were ordering.

With our limited time we would have been better to explore the Insadong Culture Street (a lot of the traditional arts and crafts shops are here) or even one of the palaces, before heading to the airport but next time we will know. We made a mistake and got cuaght in traffic, but that is a tale for another day.

Practicalities:

Insadong Hanok Village

Further Reading:

Cartoon Street

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