The longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe - Strøget

For all shopaholics, Copenhagen is the city for you as the main shopping area, Strøget boasts a length of around 3.2km of diverse shops starting from the Town Hall Square ending at Kongens Nytorv. Here, you will find the most of your fashion labels and also some of the city's famous stores like Illums Bolighus and the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain.

I've always like Scandinavian furniture and design so I can spend hours in Illums Bolighus. Do drop by this store while you are here.

Map of Strøget

Taking the metro to the Central Station, you will be awed by the majestic Copenhagen City Hall. Here at the Town Hall Square, we were entertained by some streets performance and the square was always crowded with people walking through to the shopping streets of Strøget or making their way to the amusement part, Tivoli Gardens which is just a stone's throw away.

Street Performance at Copenhagen City Hall

Copenhagen City Hall

Brace yourself as you are about to embark on the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. As you stroll down the countless shops along Strøget, you will arrive at the Amagertorv. You will see the iconic Stork Fountain that has become a meeting spot for many people over the years.

The Stork Fountain at Amagertorv

Amagertorv

Continuing our way from Amagertorv to Kongens Nytorv, we came across another popular Danish trademark, Lego I have spend my early years assembling Lego blocks into castles and other architectures. So, Lego has became an integral part of my childhood. =)

Lego shop at Strøget

Strøget has lots to offer and you can spend the whole day here shopping. When your legs are tired, there are always cafes nearby to get some drinks and rest before you get back into the shops again. Nearing Kongens Nytorv, you will find the luxurious international brands like Louis Vuitton, Rolex, etc. I'll leave you here to explore this shopping street yourself. Happy shopping!!

Home of F.C. København

There is a strong following for the Barclays Premier League in Singapore and football has also become very popular in Singapore. As an avid football fan myself, I was interested to watch a local football game here in Copenhagen. Here is how you can get yourself tickets to the football match. Go to the homepage of F.C. København and click on the Køb billet. However, this is all in Danish and you may need to use an online translator or like myself, seek help from a local friend. =)

After getting the tickets, you may want to visit the F.C. København mega store to get yourself a home kit to show your support. The mega store opens about an hour before kick-off and I was there to grab a F.C. København jersey for myself. So I'm all ready for the opening game against F.C. Midtjylland.

My place was a stone's throw away to the their stadium - Parken. This is also Denmark's National Stadium that has hosted many concerts beside the football game. Getting to Parken can be a hassle as the nearest train station Østerport is about 15 - 20 minutes walk. But with a map, I'm sure you can find your way to this state-of-the-art stadium.

Parken Stadium

Parken Stadium

Parken Stadium

Parken Stadium

Approaching the Parken, you will be greeted by the giant posters of the players. Inside the venue, the pitch is equally impressive and well-maintained. With a beer in hand, I found my seat and all set to watch the game.

Parken Stadium

Parken Stadium

Parken Stadium

Soon, the players came out to warm up and the atmosphere was fantastic as the fans greeted their heroes with applause. Although I do not really know the players, I joined in with the crowd and was eager for the game to begin.

 

F.C. Midtjylland players warming up

F.C. København players warming up

The game begins

F.C. København lining up to take a freekick

The game finally commences and there was end-to-end action at both ends. The away side drew first blood and went up 0-2 angering the F.C. København die-hard fans. However, the home side, cheered on by the boisterous fans went up a gear and fought back to win 4-2 eventually. The home side erupted and applauded their heroes as the players came to thanked their supporters. What a comeback and a great football game to watch. =D

F.C. København applauding their heroes

The land of the Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid of Copenhagen

Next up, let me take you on a trip in search for the Little Mermaid. No, I'm not talking about Ariel from the Disney animation but the famous Little Mermaid of Copenhagen from the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen.

Arriving in the beautiful city of Copenhagen, I took a train to Nørreport which takes about 30 minutes from the airport.

There, my friend was waiting waiting for me to take me to his apartment which will be my home for my stay here in Copenhagen.

First of all, let me try to explain how the train tickets work. The different areas are divided by different zones and you will need to determine your fare by which zone you will be going. So you can purchase a 2 zones card or 3 zones card depending on your destination.

There will be a machine at the train station where you can punch the number of zones you need. For example, traveling 4 zones would require you to punch in twice on the 2 zones card.

Sounds a little complicated but you will get the hang of it and feel free to ask the staff at the train station and they will be more than willing to help. After all, surveys has shown that the Danes are the happiest people in the word. =)

To help you navigate how you can reach the city from the airport, here is a map with the various zones in Copenhagen. You can find our more from the DSB website.

The Zonal Transport system in Copenhagen

And it's time to grab a bite after the long flight from Singapore and so my friend took me for some Danish pastries. We went to the popular Lagkagehuset and the pastries here was really delicious. There are several outlets available in the city of Copenhagen. One of the best pastries I ever had and would definitely come back for more.

Lagkagehuset in Copenhagen

Danish pastries at Lagkagehuset

Danish pastries at Lagkagehuset

Let me finish my Spandauer (a sweet danish delight with creamy custard) and the other equally appetizing Danish pastries before I take you on a tour of Strøget, the longest pedestrian walking street in Europe. ^^ 

Myeong-dong Kyoja, est. 1966

It's back at Myeong-dong once again and this time, we are hunting for the famous mandu dumplings at the Myeong-dong Kyoja restaurant. Ok, here is the directions from the Korean tourism website but you may still get lost in the labyrinth of Myeong-dong. But that's just another excuse to go shopping when you go in search of the restaurant. =p

Address

Myeongdong Gyoja 명동교자
Address: 서울시 중구 명동2가 25-2
Phone: 02-776-5348
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Directions
Main Branch Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 8. Upon exiting the station, turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road. Go straight about 150m to arrive at Myeongdong Kyoja (명동교자) on the right. Myeongdong Kyoja Branch No. 1 From Myeongdong Station (Exit 8), turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road. Go straight about 280m to arrive at the restaurant on the left.   After a while, we finally arrived at the Myeong-dong Kyoja restaurant. There was a little bit of queue outside the restaurant but the line is moving pretty fast. Before long, we were seated in the restaurant and we wasted no time to try their Kalguksu (chopped hand rolled noodles) and the famous mandu (steamed dumplings). Myeong-dong Kyoja Myeong-dong Kyoja Mandu and Kalguksu at Myeong-dong Kyoja The soupy noodle was really comforting in this cold weather but we really prefer the plump dumplings which was like chinese dumplings with a generous portion of meat.  And next, we are need to walk around after the meal. Another excuse to go shopping and Myeong-dong got lots to offer. =) Myeong-dong Theater at Myeong-dong All the shopping has got us tired and we are in need of a rest. Being a coffee lover, I would love to experience the coffee here in Seoul and to satisfy my caffeine craving. And so we hopped into Hollys coffee in Myeong-dong. Hollys coffee is Korea's first local coffee franchise and has been roasting fresh coffee since 1998.   The coffee culture in Seoul is great you can see a coffee joint at every corner. The Hollys coffee at Myeong-dong has 4 floors and you can get a view of Myeong-dong from the highest floor. Here are some pictures for you while I enjoy the aroma of my freshly brewed coffee. ;-D Hollys Coffee at Myeong-dong View from Hollys Coffee @ Myeong-dong My Hollys Coffee at Myeong-dong

Seoul from the top of Mount Namsan

Our next stop is to the N Seoul Tower on top of Mount Namsan. Here, we can get a bird's eye view of the beautiful Seoul city. We walked and took a cable car to Mount Namsan from Myeong-dong area but you can also choose to take a bus up to the N Seoul Tower. This is how you do it.

Namsan Sunhwan Shuttle Bus No. 02

Closest subway stationsMyeong-dong Station (line 4) exit 3, Chungmuro Station exit 2 (in front of Daehan Cinema)
Intervalsevery 15 minutes
Operating hours07:00~24:00
Rates950 Won in cash / 850 Won with transportation card (transfers possible)
Bus routeN Seoul Tower → Namsan Public Library → Seoul Education Research & Information Institute → Namsan Walk B Course → Seoul Animation Center, Soongeui Women’s College → Teogyero 3-ga Hanok Village → Daehan Cinema → Teogyero 5-ga → Dongguk Univ. Station → National Theater of Korea → Namsan North Side Circuit Entry → N Seoul Tower

Namsan Sunhwan Shuttle Bus No. 03

Closest subway stationsSeoul Station (lines 1 and 4) exit 9, Itaewon Station (line 6) exit 4, Hangangjin Station (line 6) in front of exit 2
Intervalsevery 20 minutes
Operating hours07:30~23:30
Rates950 Won in cash / 850 Won with transportation card (transfers possible)
Bus routeN Seoul Tower → Namsan Public Library → Baekbeom Plaza→ Huam Inersection → Namdaemun Police Station → Seoul Station → Namdaemun Market → Namsan Tunnel 3 → Yongsan Hanshin Apartment → Haebangchon → Itaewon Yongsan-gu Office → Hamilton Hotel → Itaewon Fire Branch Office → Hangangjin Station → Beoti Gogae → Songdo Hospital → Yaksu Station→ Dongguk Univ. Station → National Theater of Korea → Namsan North Side Circuit Entry → N Seoul Tower

Namsan Sunhwan Shuttle Bus No. 05

Closest subway stationsMyeong-dong Station (line 4) exit 3, Chungmuro Station exit 2 (in front of Daehan Cinema)
Intervalsevery 15 minutes
Operating hours7:30 ~ 23:30
Rates950 Won in cash / 850 Won with transportation card (transfers possible)
Bus routeN Seoul Tower → Namsan Public Library → Baekbeom Plaza → Hilton Hotel → Namdaemun Market, Accessory Arcade → Namdaemun Market → Entrance to Myeong-dong → Teogyero 3-ga, Hanok Village, Korea House → Daehan Cinema → Teogyero 5-ga → Teogyero 6-ga → Gwanghui-dong Crossroads → Chugnmu Art Hall, Jungbu Fire Station → Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town → Sindang-dong, Cheongo Station → Yaksu Station → Dongguk Univ. Station → National Theater of Korea → Namsan North Side Circuit Entry → N Seoul Tower

For us, we hiked up from the Myeong-dong station through some alley and stairs before we arrived at the cable car station. It took us about 20 minutes I think but it was nothing compared to the hike at Mount Seorak. =p

Hiking up to N Seoul Tower

Round trip tickets cost about 7500 won per adult and so we were soon on our way up Mount Namsan. Before long, we reached the top and it's just another 5 minutes walk to the N Seoul Tower. In the park, you can see many Korean couples dating and enjoying the pretty scenery.

N Seoul Tower at Mount Namsan

Ticket office at N Seoul Tower

You may want to go up the observatory tower to get a panoramic of the entire Seoul city but we chose not to and walked about on the lower deck. You can find a Teddy Bear museum here and strolling along, you will find the locks of love. There are thousands of locks here left behind by couples to show their undying love for each other. However, there is also a sign reminding couples to keep the key in case they broke up... Oops!!

Locks of Love at N Seoul Tower

Locks of Love at N Seoul Tower

The night was chilly and we went back into the tower where there is a lovely gift shop with many interesting things. You may want to buy something back as a memento. We got our souvenirs and headed to the cafe for a nice hot drink before we made our descend back down to Myeong-dong to do some more shopping. Hence, we concluded our visit to N Seoul Tower, a romantic island in the city. =)

Hot drink at Cafe of N Seoul Tower

Flowing along Cheonggyecheon

Cheongyecheon is a long stream flowing through downtown Seoul with parks on both sides of the stream.  You can reach Cheonggyecheon by taking the subway to Jongno 3-ga Station taking either exit 13 or 14. At the starting point of the stream will be a waterfall-like fountain and you can follow some of the recommended walking course.

Course 1 (Distance: 2.9㎞/Duration: 3 hours)
Cheonggyecheon Stream Plaza - Gwangtonggyo Bridge - Samilgyo Bridge (Jongno, Insadong) - Ogansugyo Bridge (Dongdaemun fashion town) - Saebyeokdari (Bridge of Dawn; Gwangjang Market, Bangsan Market) - Supyogyo Bridge

Course 2 (Distance: 2.6㎞/Duration: 2.5 hours)
Cheonggyecheon Stream Culture Center - Gosanjagyo Bridge - Dumuldari Bridge - Malgeunnaedari Bridge - Ogansugyo Bridge (Dongdaemun fashion town)

Waterfall fountain at the starting point of Cheonggyecheon

When we were there, there was some kind of exhibition going on so we can see many beautiful paper lanterns lining up the Cheongyecheon. These lanterns were in the form of animals and prominent landmarks around the world like the Statue of Liberty, Leaning Tower of Pisa, etc.

So off we go strolling along admiring the massive urban reconstruction project which transformed what used to be shabby living areas back in the past.

Paper lanterns lining up the Cheonggyecheon

Adjacent to the Cheonggyecheon is Seoul's most fashionable districts like the Dongdaemum market so you may want to drop by to pick out a few pieces of dresses. It is also not far off from Insa-dong where we are heading to. =)

Japanese lanterns at Cheonggyecheon

Japanese lanterns at Cheonggyecheon

Lanterns under the bridge of Cheonggyecheon

Famous landmarks at Cheonggyecheon

Traditional Korean costume at Cheonggyecheon

And then, we made our way to Insa-dong street. You can find a wide variety of goods here in Insa-dong, from the touristy souvenirs to clothing, accessories to the traditional Hanbok and Hanji.

While you are here, do not miss the popular coffee chain Starbucks written in the Korean characters - cool!! =)

   

Starbucks at Insadong

Next, we came to a very unique shopping mall with a equally unique name, Ssamziegil (at least to us =p). We cannot even pronounce this. Ssamziegil has many little shops selling arty stuff and young designer's clothing. We walked up the winding slopes and staircase until we came to the top, browsing the interesting shops on the way. And you will be rewarded with a view of the shopping mall from the top.

Ssamziegil at Insa-dong

Shopping always make us famished and we stopped by a small restaurant to try their Samgyetang, or Ginseng chicken soup. This dish is made from Korean ginseng along with a whole young chicken boiled in soup. It is said to prevent sickness but for us, it really nice to have some warm and soupy stuff in this cold weather. 맛있어요!!!

Samgyetang at Insadong

Gyeongbokgung Palace

It's time for some history of South Korea as we set off for the main and largest Royal Palace of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung. The palace was constructed long ago is 1395, later burned down and abandoned for three centuries before it was reconstructed 1867 to it's current magnificence.

Here's how you get to the beautiful palace, Gyeongbokgung. You can easily take the subway Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung station and then walk out from Exit 5. And 5 minutes of walking is all it takes to reach the ticket office of Gyeongbokgung.

Subway map to Gyeongbokgung

 The Gyeongbokgung Palace is huge and be sure to obtain a guide with a map at the entrance before exporing the premises. Here is a map of Gyeongbokgung.

Map of Gyeongbokgung

There is a opening ceremony of the the Palace gates which you may want to get there early to watch. You can witness the colorful costumes of the Palace Royal Guards marching in with drums beating. However, be prepared for the large crowd gathering to watch.

Royal Guards parade at Gyeongbokgung

Royal Guards parade at Gyeongbokgung

After watching the entertaining parade, you will be greeted by the Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall where the king addresses the audience.  On the way in, we chanced upon the filming of some news or documentary with the host in the Korean traditional dress, the Hanbok.

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung
 

Korean in Hanbok at Gyeongbokgung

Walking further in, we saw the Gyeonghoeru, also known as the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion rested on a tranquil pond. This is the Royal Banquet Hall where the king threw feasts and banquets during the Joseon Dynasty.

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung

Along the way, the palace has many lovely back alleys and gardens where you can stop for photo-takings like we did. The place was really big and we can imagine the lives of the royalties back then. You will also notice that the roofs of the buildings are nicely painted and colorful.

Back alleys at Gyeongbokgung

Colorful roofs at Gyeongbokgung

The Gyotaejeon is where the queen used to reside. Like any palace, the Gyeongbokgung has many similar buildings and we often find ourselves lost in the many lanes and allies.

Gyotaejeon at Gyeongbokgung

Next, we arrived at the Hwangwonji Pond and the Hwangwonjeong Pavilion. Here stands a 2-storey hexagonal pavilion build on an artificial islet in the middle of the Hwangwonji Pond.  TheHwangwonjeong translates as "The Pavilion of far-reaching fragrances" linked by a bridge named Chwihyanggyo, which means "Bridge intoxicated with frangrance". The area is decorated by a garden adding to the beauty of the place.

Hwangwonjeong Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung

Chwihyanggyo Bridge at Gyeongbokgung

At the Hwangwonjeong Pavilion, we were honored to see the king and the queen themselves.  So we seek their permission to take some pictures with them. =P

The king and the queen at Gyeongbokgung

Royal guards and maids at Gyeongbokgung

It certainly takes a whole day to visit the Gyeongbokgung and we learned a little about the Korean history during our visit. Unless you are really into the Korean history, we suggest you don't visit the other palaces and the Gyeongbokgung will be a good enough experience. And after walking all day round the palace, it's time to head back to our hotel to rest. ^^