Gangbyeon Station Techno Mart
Seoul is a fascinating city to see. However, most rarely get a good look of the vastness. As part of an ongoing series of blog posts. I am documenting all of the great locations to photograph a good cityscape of Seoul. In these posts, there should be enough information to know what to expect and if it is worth the journey.
Seoul is a fascinating city to see. However, most rarely get a good look of the vastness. As part of an ongoing series of blog posts. I am documenting all of the great locations to photograph a good cityscape of Seoul. In these posts, there should be enough information to know what to expect and if it is worth the journey.
On the 9th floor of the Techno Mart is a large outdoor terrace that is accessible to the public. From this point, there is a great view of both Lotte Tower and the Peace Bridge. I really appreciate that this is an area that is open to the public, free, and has a great view. No sneaking required.
The subway bridge that spans the Han acts as a good leading line. There is a higher platform on the left side of the terrace. While it does give a slightly better view, there is safety wire all around that is quite high. Towards the middle is a shorter platform that provides the easiest and safest view. From the middle platform, I found that the relationship between the tower and bridge to be less than ideal. In search of a better composition, I found that putting my camera on the ledge under the railing towards the right side of the area was an improvement. Don't do this unless you have a very stable tabletop tripod and a firm grip. Note that there are bright lights lower on the building and they can cause lens flare.
The area closes at 9pm which might be a little early if you go in the summer.
I would recommend lenses between 16mm and 85mm. 16mm is wide enough to get a lot of the freeway below in a photo with the tower while 50 or 85mm nicely frames the tower with the bridge.
Umyeonsan - Seoul Photo Location
Seoul is a fascinating city to see. However, most rarely get a good look of the vastness. As part of an ongoing series of blog posts. I am documenting all of the great locations to photograph a good cityscape of Seoul. In these posts, there should be enough information to know what to expect and if it is worth the journey.
Seoul is a fascinating city to see. However, most rarely get a good look of the vastness. As part of an ongoing series of blog posts. I am documenting all of the great locations to photograph a good cityscape of Seoul. In these posts, there should be enough information to know what to expect and if it is worth the journey.
This is a new favorite location for me and I love racing to the top after work in time for sunset.. Getting to the "photo island" at the top takes about an hour from Nambu Bus Terminal. Be prepared for close to 300 meters of elevation gain. In the summer heat, it was brutal. The nearest subway station is Nambu Bus Terminal. Head toward the Seoul Arts Center. From there, various trails head to the top
I would recommend 50mm and 85mm. These two focal lengths seem to work best with this location to use the large road as a leading line up towards Namsan Tower. Stitching photos together with a 50mm makes for great panoramas.
Below is the map location of the beginning of the trail I use. It is a pedestrian bridge with a large waterfall on the mountain side.
Zapangi - Magwon
In the Mapo-gu area, around 500 meters from the Magwon subway stop, lies a cafe that has a small menu filled with some beautiful creations. Zapangi offers decorated donuts, cakes in a tin, milk in a bottle, as well as colorful drinks.
In the Mapo-gu area, around 500 meters from the Magwon subway stop, lies a cafe that has a small menu filled with some beautiful creations. Zapangi offers decorated donuts, cakes in a tin, milk in a bottle, as well as colorful drinks. I found this cafe to be quite pricey, however. If I remember correctly, the drink in the picture above was around 12,000 won with donuts costing 5,000.
You'll find that many people come to just get a photo of the entrance. It's the most interesting door I've come across in the country. There is a bench, dog-shaped figure, and the door is the font of a vintage vending machine displaying their four offerings. It's perfect to get that perfect picture for your friends.
Seating isn't a strength of Zapangi. There isn't much seating to begin with and what is there is only bench seating without proper tables. At least there are seat cushions and pillows that make it fairly comfortable.
Our order was surprisingly tasty. The donuts weren't too sweet or too cake-like. The drinks were average fair but I think many people order them more for their presentation.
In conclusion, I'd recommend going to this Zapangi once or twice to enjoy the experience. However, I don't believe this is a spot I'd keep going back to. While what we ordered looked very nice and tasted fine, the high price and distance from other options make me look for closer options.
Address: 400-2 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
