Sydkorea

Home to majestic mountains, glistening beaches, steaming hot springs and fantastic seafood, South Korea’s second-largest city is a rollicking port town with tons to offer. From casual tent bars and chic designer cafes to fish markets teeming with every species imaginable, Busan (부산) has something for all tastes. Rugged mountain ranges slice through the urban landscape, and events such as the Busan International Film Festival underscore the city’s desire to be a global meeting place.

Sydkoreas huvudstad är en mångmiljonstad och ett neonblinkande virrvarr där natten är kung och selfiepinnarnas kamerablixtar blinkar non-stop. Vi guidar till de skönaste kvarteren, bästa shoppingställena och sevärdheterna du inte vill missa.

Chungcheongnam-do (충청남도) tends to fly under the radar of most travellers, and that's unfortunate. Some of the best nature within striking distance of Seoul is here. Gorgeous Daecheon Beach is popular, especially during the Boryeong Mud Festival, while those preferring solitude can hop on a ferry to one of the nearby islands. To the north is Taeanhaean National Marine Park, dotted with more islands, beaches and 150km of trails that flit in and out of coastline.

Jeju-do (제주도), Korea’s largest island, has long been the country’s favourite domestic holiday destination thanks to its beautiful beaches, lush countryside and seaside hotels designed for rest and relaxation.

Jeju-do’s second-largest city is beautifully situated on a rocky volcanic coastline dotted with lush parks, a deep gorge and two waterfalls. The clear blue waters and mild ocean temperatures make Seogwipo (서귀포; pronounced so-ghee-poh) Korea’s best scuba-diving destination and it’s also an ideal base for hiking, or day trips across Jeju-do (if you don't mind long rides). Its small size makes it easy to walk between most of the sights in town, and at the end of each day you'll find yourself back at Lee Jung Seop-ro, one of the hippest streets on the island.

Some of Seoul’s most charming neighborhoods are clustered in an arc across three of the city’s guardian mountains. To the east, beside Naksan, you’ll find the student and performing-arts hub of Daehangno. Moving anticlockwise across to Bukaksan is Seongbuk-dong, an affluent residential district with excellent museums. Buam-dong further west is the starting point for hikes along the scenic Seoul City Wall, while the slopes of Inwangsan are home to the city’s most famous shamanist shrine. Continuing south there's a park dedicated to the country’s independence at Seodaemun.

Seoul's staggeringly efficient mass transit system makes its surrounding areas incredibly accessible, whether for easy day trips or longer excursions. And despite such proximity, cities such as Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do with its World Heritage–listed fortress, or Incheon with its intriguing multicultural background, have a vibe all their own.

The sprawling port city of Mokpo (목포), set on a small peninsula jutting out into the West Sea, is the end of the line for trains and expressway traffic, and a starting point for sea voyages to Jeju-do and the western islands of Dadohae Haesang National Park. Korea’s National Maritime Museum is appropriately located here, and the craggy peaks of Yudalsan Park rear up in the city center, offering splendid sea, city and sunset views.

Gangnam (meaning South of the River) is booming with new luxury high-rises bisected by broad highways. Expansive areas of greenery figure, too, in the shape of Olympic Park, the strip of recreation areas along the Han River, and Seonjeongneung Park, home to royal tombs. Luxury label boutiques are clustered in Apgujeong and Cheongdam. You’ll also find several major performance-arts centres across the district.

Known as ‘the museum without walls’, Gyeongju (경주) has more tombs, temples, rock carvings, pagodas, Buddhist statuary and palace ruins than any other place in South Korea. It's a lovely city, stuffed to the gills with history.