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Seoul is an incredible city. It has everything you could ever want – shopping, business, temples, palaces, parks, rivers, parades, little pockets of different cultural zones, and much more. Its sprawling subway system is cheap, convenient, and clean and makes getting around the city no problem at all. You’re never lost in Seoul, and never lacking for things to do.
It is also a very densely populated place and for the most part, very much a concrete jungle. Despite its efficient public transportation, Seoul boasts a traffic gridlock that would make even veteran traffic navigators in the world’s other big cities cringe. The aforementioned subways, while being excellent, can become rapidly moving (and smelly) sardine cans at peak hours. If you go to Myeong-dong on a sale day, be prepared to punch, push, and shove your way through the sea of people that populate the its pedestrian walkways. The air quality in Seoul is the butt of many jokes.
These things can make one yearn for a place to retreat away from city life and all its people. Fortunately, there is such a sanctuary in Dongjak-gu just a short walk from Line 7: Boramae Park (보라매 공원). It is smack in the middle of southwest Seoul, yet is only about 20 minutes by taxi to Itaewon or Gangnam. It’s in the heart of the city, yet it is fantastic place to escape city life for an afternoon.
A big park with lots to do
Boraemae Park is a dedicated Air Force Memorial as well as a park. Upon entering, you will see all manner of retired aircrafts casually set up around the park. There are fighter gets, helicopters, and bombers set up for people to observe and learn about, and children running around playing games in between them.
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Kite flying in the park
But it is truly a park. It is vast and has many different areas to explore and enjoy. In the center, there is a large soccer field where families play games, fly kites, and run around having a good time. Encompassing the soccer field is a track where people both jog and run. The track seems to be a particular favorite among older Koreans, who can be seen power waking with much gusto around the track. Alongside the track, many people lay out blankets and have picnics. You see all manner of people at the park: couples on a date (or is it a 데이트?) sharing ramen and taking pictures of themselves; young families with toddling kids who run around with seemingly unlimited energy; and older people just sitting and enjoying being outside and out of the city.
Walking past the soccer field, one will reach the athletic courts. Here you will see dozens of people enjoying what is probably the second most commonly played sport in Korea – badminton. Near them, you’ll find people engaged in batting practice. There are also courts set up for the really strange soccer-volleyball hybrid game that is popular in South Korea. It looks like it follows similar rules as volleyball, but utilizes soccer techniques like passing and kicking instead of using your hands and arms as in volleyball. Beyond that, there’s a rock wall.
Wowsan
All of these things are a sign of a great park, but the real value of Boramae is off the main path. The Wowsan Nature Trail is easily the best part of a visit to Boramae Park, and could be the singular reason why you would want to come here. It is a small mountain off to the side of the main park area that completely encases you in nature. While walking through this trail, you are instantly transported out of a sprawling metropolis and into the countryside. The trees swallow up any noises of traffic and people and block out any sight of buildings, cars, or anything associated with cities.
This trail is complete with all the trappings of mountain trails in the countryside too: there is a Buddhist temple near the summit, several side trails and benches to rest at, and exercise machines casually distributed along the way. It is as though somebody was able to transport the countryside and drop it a kilometer from the Han River.
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Would you believe this exists 20 minutes from Gangnam?
Having lived at the foot of a mountain in the Korean countryside from 2010 – 2011, I experienced a shocking similarity between hiking that mountain in Anseong-si and Wowsam in Seoul. When you are on this trail, you might as well be hundreds of miles outside of Seoul, so complete is the illusion. The only sounds you can hear are sounds of nature: crickets, the wind, and your own footsteps.
If you are looking to escape the city for an afternoon, Boramae Park allows you to do this without having to plan a trip to the countryside. Just get on the subway, transfer to Line 7, and you can spend a great day relaxing and experiencing nature, right in the middle of Seoul