Chasing Suwon’s Broken Walls, Suwon, South Korea

Back in the day, when it was acceptable to build walls, many eastern cultures went all the way in protecting their kingdoms. The most noteworthy of them all, without a doubt, would have to be the Great Wall of China. However, still unknown to many travellers; Korea has its fair share of city walls. The ancient capital, Seoul, was surrounded by a wall — running through — its 4 guardian mountains. Remnants of the wall are acessible by easy hikes, along these mountain trails. And like Seoul, Suwon’s top draw, is its UNESCO World Heritage Hwaseong Fortress. The length of the city wall runs across 5.74 km. On a rather hot weekend, in the first week of August, we chose to visit this laid-back town.

The best part of the Seoul Subway, is that everything is within easy reach. Suwon can be easily reached, within an hour, by taking Line 1 (change at Singil) on the Seoul Metro. With some trains heading towards Incheon, it’s best to pay attention to the announcements, and read the information boards. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).