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TravelTips24 : Asia : East Asia : South Korea : Gyeonggi : Suwon

Suwon

Suwon (수원,水原) is the capital of Gyeonggi province.

Culture and History

Suwon is the provincial capital and largest city in Gyeonggi-do and has a population of just over one million. It is about 30 km from Seoul.

Travel to Suwon & Visa Requirements

  • Take Seoul subway line 1 (blue) south - Cheonan line. Ensure that you are on the correct section of the train as it later splits and travels on two separate lines: the Incheon line (west) and Cheonan line (south).
  • It is also well possible to take a commuter train from Seoul station. This is much faster (30-45 min.) and costs about 3200 Won.
  • There is a frequent bus service connecting the Castle Hotel in Suwon with Incheon Intl. Airport. This runs about every 30-60 minutes from 5AM on, takes 60-90 min. and costs 12.000 Won.

Tours & Getting around Suwon

Suwon attractions and sightseeing

  • Hwaseong Fortress (sometimes referred to as simply Suwon Fortress) - a stunning fortress constructed between 1794 to 1796 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a 2-3 hour walk to complete the circumference. Visitors can try out archery at Hwaseong fortress.
  • Manseok Park, Jangan-gu - a large park with lake and recreational facilities.

Suwon city tours

  • Gwanggyosan Mountain, in the north end of Suwon, [1]. Gwanggyosan Mountain is in the north end of Suwon and offers an excellent of view of Suwon and the surrounding area. There are a number of peaks as well as a number of trails of varying difficulty. edit

Suwon souvenirs & shopping

You can find many cloth and jewellery retail outlets near Paldalmun(Nammun). It is a part of Hwaseong Fortress.You can shop for brands like Chanel, Boss, Diesel and other international fashion chains at Galleria or the Suwon station mall

Suwon Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

The food court in the mall at the train/metro station offers an excellent quality Korean meal- for a very nice price. One can get a fantastic meal for 4500 (about $5) One may select from many choices; there is a showcase displaying them.

Besides plentiful traditional Korean restaurants there are many places which serve other cuisines and fast food.

Galbi

Suwon is famous for its "Galbi". Restaurants near the Yeonteong Square(Sagori) serve Galbi.

Suwon nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Major nightlife seems to revolve around three areas: Ingyedong, Yeongtong, and Nammun (Paldamun).

In Ingyedong you will find an amazing number of hofs, bars, restaurants, hostess bars etc. There's also several Korean nightclubs such as Juliana, Boss etc.

  • Club NB. A franchise of perhaps the most famous of the hiphop clubs in Seoul. It is an impressive western style hip-hop/dance club: very new, very big, very nice, and foreigner friendly.

Nammun is big among the university students of Suwon. It has a fashion street and the majority of nightlife is centered on Rodeo Street which is behind the main street to the left of Nammun Gate.

  • 911 Club. Famous for "drunken" tequila parties that it holds on Friday and Saturday night. It's a relaxed hip hop club with a bit of skate style.
  • Rodeo nightclub

Other areas that offer some nightlife options include the Ajou University area and the Suwon Station area. Where you will find

  • Team Bar, near Suwon Station. Does bar shows.
  • S bar, near Suwon Station.

Suwon cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Budget

Mid range

You can get a motel for around 40,000 won around the train station area.

Dormy Inn is a GREAT place to stay and it's not expensive. It's like renting an apartment. Not that I need all this (kitchen, washing machine, extra rooms, etc.), but it comes with the price. Search for deals and book online, though.

Splurge

  • Yeongtong Plaza Hotel (YT). 155,000 won a night.

Get out

This page was last edited at 11:42, on 4 October 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by David, Jani Patokallio and Andrew Rutherford, Wikitravel user(s) Morph, Superdog and WindHorse and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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