There are only a few days left to enjoy the weather outside. Here are some great places to go for a quick fall outing.
1. Namsan Library
Namsan Library is a well-known fall foliage spot. The outdoor reading area on the second floor, facing Namsan Mountain and with the sky as its roof, offers a spectacular view. Surrounded by fall foliage, you can fatten up your brain and heart while reading a book.
📍109 Sowol-ro, Yongsan-gu
2. Haneul Park
One more autumn spot to see before the fast-paced fall season comes to an end. After the week-long (October 19-25) Mugwort Festival, the leaves are left behind at Haneul Park. The reddish metasequoia paths are charming and strangely melancholy.
📍95, Haneulgong Park-ro, Mapo-gu
3. Entry 55
How about Entry 55, where live jazz performances are held every day. It has carefully organized musicians, sound, and lighting. It doubles as a restaurant and bar, and you can bring in your favorite outside food to enjoy, just like at a jazz festival. On Saturday nights, they invite some of the hottest acts in town for a special performance. It’s held weekly at the Holy Water and Shrine and can be booked here.
📍Seongsu Branch, 60 Seongsuil-ro 8-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
📍Sadang Branch, 18, Dongjak-daero 1-gil, Dongjak-gu
4. Women’s Life Art in the Age of Upheaval
The Seosomun Main Building of the Seoul Museum of Art is holding an exhibition, “Women’s Life Art in the Age of Upheaval,” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Chun Kyung-ja, a pioneer of Korean contemporary art. It features works by 22 female artists who lived through turbulent times, from the Japanese occupation to the military regime. After the exhibition, a stroll through the stone walls of Deoksugung Palace makes for a relaxing fall stroll.
📍 Seosomun Main Building, Seoul Museum of Art, 61 Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
🗓️ ~ November 17 (Sun)
5. Candlelight: The Best of Hisaishi Joe’s Work
More stone wall content. The red brick buildings dotted along the way add to the atmosphere of Jeongdong-gil. Among them is the Catholic Franciscan Education Hall, where the Candlelight Concert is held. The program will feature the music of Hisaishi Joe. Listen to the OST of Hayao Miyazaki’s soul mate, and let the candlelight make you dreamy.
📍Catholic Franciscan Education Center, Jung-gu, Jungdong-gil 9
🗓️ Wednesday, November 27
6. Futura Seoul
If you’re an art lover, you’ve probably already been to Futura Seoul, which opened last month in Gahoe-dong, Bukchon. It is a space that discovers and reinterprets genres, media, and concepts that are difficult to characterize. The opening exhibition, “Echoes of the Earth: A Living Archive” by media artist Repik Anadol, is on view until December 8th.
📍61 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu
7. Naruto The Gallery
The official Naruto exhibition ‘Naruto The Gallery’, which has already been a huge success in Fukuoka, Japan and Singapore, has been open since the end of last month. The exhibition features a vivid ninja world and limited-edition merchandise to celebrate Naruto’s 20th anniversary. Tickets can be booked here.
📍Kakao Friends Hongdae Flagship Store, 162 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea
8. K-Food Festival Noknok
If you’re out and about in Gwanghwamun on the weekends, you’re likely to come across people lying in the square reading a book. Next to the Seoul Open Air Library, , where food trucks are lively, the K-Food Festival Noknok is taking place. Enjoy some exotic Korean food at Gwanghwamun Square, which has become a destination for lingering due to its constant content.
📍Sejongno Park, 175 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu
⏰ Every Thursday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
9. Sooyeon Sanbang
It’s a cliché, but when the weather turns chilly, you can’t help but crave a quiet old space. At Suyeon Sanbang, the house of writer Sanghe Lee Tae-joon, located in a northeastern alley in Seongnam-dong, his granddaughter has been running the traditional tea house since 1998. The signature ingredient is pumpkin. When it’s hot, try the pumpkin shaved ice, and when it’s cold, the pumpkin porridge is a great way to warm up.
📍8, Seongbuk-ro 26-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul