Seoul Metropolitan Government selects 110 autumn foliage routes

Four themes: downtown streets, riverside paths, parks and walking trails

Total stretch of 167 km featuring zelkova, cherry and metasequoia trees

Fall foliage along the northern circular road of Namsan Park. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Fall foliage along the northern circular road of Namsan Park. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

With Seoul's autumn foliage expected to peak in early to mid-November, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has unveiled its "110 Seoul Autumn Foliage Routes" to help residents find the best spots across the city.

Stretching a total of 167 kilometers, the routes allow residents to enjoy fall colors at parks and walking paths near their homes, the city said Sunday. Along the way, visitors can take in seasonal scenery created by a variety of tree species, including ginkgo, zelkova, flowering cherry and metasequoia.

The selected routes are divided into four themes: 20 walkable paths in the heart of the city, 19 riverside routes, 28 paths through parks, and 43 neighborhood walking trails.

Among the downtown foliage routes, Samcheong-dong-gil, Deoksugung-gil and Itaewon-ro stand out. Samcheong-dong-gil pairs the walls of Gyeongbokgung with rows of ginkgo trees, while Deoksugung-gil offers a view of ginkgo and zelkova trees turning color along the palace's stone wall.

Riverside routes include the embankment path along Jungnangcheon, the Uicheon riverside and the Anyangcheon walking trail. The Anyangcheon trail is particularly noted for its combination of crimson maple trees with silver grass and reeds, making it an ideal spot to enjoy waterside scenery.

Park routes include the forest path at Seoul Forest, the silver grass trail at Sky Park and Maeheon Citizens' Forest. A 2.3-kilometer metasequoia path connecting Sky Park and Sunset Park within World Cup Park forms a tunnel of red-tinged trees.

Other recommended autumn walking spots include Walkerhill-ro, which runs from Achasan Ecological Park to Walkerhill Hotel, the Bokjagi maple trail at Children's Grand Park, and the northern circular road of Namsan Park. The full list of 110 routes is available on the Seoul Metropolitan Government website and the Smart Seoul Map.

Kim Yeong-hwan, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Garden City Bureau, said the autumn colors along nearby downtown foliage routes would offer "a small but warm comfort amid the busy daily lives of our residents."


ken@heraldcorp.com