Suwon travel info

Suwon is a walled city finished in 1796. King Jeongjo of Joseon built Hwaseong Fortress, and nearly 5.7 km of its wall still rings the city centre. Walk along the ridge of Paldalsan and you see apartment blocks on one side and tiled roofs on the other. The gates, Paldalmun and Janganmun among them, stand in the middle of busy junctions, with cars brushing past their stone bases.

In the Haenggung-dong lanes inside the walls, cafés and craft studios have moved in under hanok eaves. As the light drops, the smell of oil from cast-iron cauldrons drifts up in the chicken street near Suwoncheon stream: about ten shops in a lane of roughly 100 m, including the one that coats its bird in galbi-style sauce. Some people finish a plate of grilled galbi and head straight there for a second dinner.

It is about an hour from Seoul on Line 1 and a little over half an hour by KTX or Mugunghwa train, so it is a popular day trip. Walking the whole wall takes two to three hours, and the galbi and chicken are best saved for after sunset. Walk in from Suwon Station toward the fortress and the day more or less runs itself.

From Seoul (KTX)

From Busan and other cities (BUS)

Express buses from Gangnam and Incheon Airport (RED)