- We can hear the birds chirping. Inhale through the nose…
- I come everyday. It’s great all year round. People can walk freely because the area is off-limits to vehicles.
- Fresh sprouts are wonderful and I’ll feel the spring season as I stroll. Walking is tough but I can lose weight. And I can relieve stress. I just started walking… it’s hard but I like it because I can lose a couple of kilograms.

Pedestrians catch their breaths as they walk up the spring road blooming with spring blossoms. The path under the mild spring sunlight is warm. As hikers take a stroll along the pretty path, they feel as if the road will lead them to a nice venue. But what kind of road are the walkers taking?

- Flowers are blossoming and it’s the most beautiful mountain in the city.
- Nam Mountain is Seoul’s representative mountain. The mountain keeps me feeling young. I love it!
- I’ve been to many places and there is no better venue in Seoul than Nam Mountain, which protects your health.
- It’s great throughout different seasons. I couldn’t feel better when I sweat while hiking here.

Nam Mountain is geographically situated in the heart of Seoul; dubbed a green garden in the middle of the bustling city. On top of the mountain stands the N Seoul Tower where visitors can appreciate the birds’-eye-view of Seoul. For foreign travelers to South Korea, it’s the must-visit tourist attraction in the capital city. Why don’t we take a walk to Nam Mountain to relish the wonderful spring season in Korea?

The Namsan Circular Buses circles the mountain every five to ten minutes, so people can visit the venue without difficulty. There are about three routes that take visitors to the top such as No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 which depart from Itaewon, Chungmu-ro Station, Myeong-dong Station, and Donguk University Station which passes the National Theater of Korea.

As Kim Myeong-hyeon, the chief manager of N Seoul Tower, explains, there are several ways visitors can take to reach the landmark tower of Seoul from the entrance of Nam Mountain. People can either hop on the cable car or the shuttle buses from the subway stations. But if they want to enjoy the spring in Seoul, they should never hesitate to hit the promenades winding up the hill.

It feels great because I can inhale the refreshing air as I hike. Let’s exercise to stay healthy. Yes, let’s live a healthy life for a long time…Ha, ha...

The energizing voices of exercising people gives the other hikers working out at the mountain a sense of fellowship. The lively atmosphere also helps lighten the tourists’ steps heading to the top of the mountain. The Nam Mountain promenade that leads to the N Seoul Tower on top is paved along the circulatory road around the mountain. The pedestrian path is covered with cushiony material making the hiking more comfortable. Although it takes about an hour and a half to walk up to the top, the road is crowded on sunny days with people who hope to get the broad vista overlooking Seoul and those who came to exercise.

- I came by walking. The weather is great and everything is wonderful. Though it was a bit tough because of my age, the way to the top was easy to walk.
- Flowers blossomed and there are many people. Watching different kinds of people is interesting and there are many foreigners. I took pictures. I felt like coming to Nam Mountain to feel the spring. So, I came with my boy friend.
- For those new couples like us, we recommend them to come to Nam Mountain and enjoy the scenic view.

N Seoul Tower is the comprehensive electric wave transmitting tower established in the summer of 1975 with the joint investment of three private broadcasting stations – Dongyang, Donga, and Munhwa. At the time, it was called Namsan Tower and was equipped with the tourist observatory. But it was refurbished and reopened in 2005 with the new name, “N Seoul Tower.” Currently, as the landmark of Seoul the venue has become the symbolic tourist attraction foreigners must visit in Korea.

As soon as the visitors arrive at the N Seoul Tower, they should head to the 360-degree revolution observatory. The high-speed elevator that goes up four meters per second takes the visitors to the 479-meter high observatory.

As soon as the door of the elevator is opened, the breathtaking view of Seoul over the huge glass window is spread in front of the tourists’ eyes. On a clear day, viewers can even see the mountain range of Mt. Songak in Gaeseong, North Korea, which is located far beyond the Mt. Inwang behind the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. Tourists are wowed by the clear, expansive view.

Each glass window of the observatory is inscribed with the name of the major cities around the world that are located straight out from the respective windows. Paris is 8,908.51 km away, Rome is 8,982.44 km far, and New York is 11,061.86 km away from Seoul’s tower. The world feels like a close neighborhood. Tourists are busy taking photos by posing to the direction they wish to visit some day.

All the sights viewed from the 360-degree observatory are different from where people stand. Some can see the Han River that flows through the heart of Seoul while others can view the Mt. Bukhan that surrounds Seoul and the mountain range of Inwangsan. Every visitor has his or her favorite scenery.

- I like the Han River sight the most. Along the bank of the water is decorated with flowers such as forsythia and royal azalea. Hangang is so pretty, it’s fantastic. Go my hometown, Seoul!
- I took a photo in front of where we can view the mountain. Blossomed flowers are beautiful, so I will also look pretty in the snap shot. I’m going to show off to my boy friend.

As tourists walk to the N Seoul Tower, their lungs are filled with the refreshing air of Namsan, and on top, they enjoy the Seoul scenery viewed from the observatory. Now it’s time to please their palates. Since visitors are here to enjoy the trip to Korea, they can go to the restaurant offering a hansik buffet located two stories below the observatory.

The eatery offering Korean dishes serves about 30 local menus including traditional porridges, bibimbap, noodles, soups, stews, various rice cakes and traditional drinks and more. It’s wonderful to dine while enjoying the panoramic scene of Seoul.

- We can be refreshed since it’s spring. The view is great and the food is wonderful. I feel great.
- I love the observatory and I came to try the food. The vista is impressive and food tastes more delicious since we are eating at this elevated venue. It’s so tasty. The dishes taste great at the observatory.

Having a savory meal and a cup of aromatic coffee…it’s certainly a romantic moment. While diners feel delighted with the relaxing moment, they recognize the wall covered with small tiles. It’s the “Love Message Tile Board.” Kim from the N Seoul Tower explains.

The “Love Message Tile Board” was made in 2008. Visitors can put some messages on the Love Message Tile and leave it forever on this board here. We thought it would be a great memory for the people. These days, people attach importance to personality, so they decorate their messages differently from others. In the beginning, we thought people would simply scribble a few words, but a lot of people take pictures and attach them to the tile.

The charming tiles are posted on the wall of the observatory. The “Love Message Tile Board” was created so families and couples can write down their memories. The tiles with photos and messages make the viewers happy.

- This is unique. There are people like me who don’t want to be solo anymore. Some wrote “let’s keep loving each other even after marriage.” Some are written in Japanese, and some wrote a goodbye message to Seungmin who is enlisted in the army. It’s a lovely and pretty space.
- I’ll check it every time I come. I’ll keep my love for a long time. I have a person in mind and I hope to come with him. I want to write a love letter and post it here.

In addition to the Love Message Tile Board on the observatory, there is another space filled with the aroma of love at the N Seoul Tower. It’s the Roof Terrace located at the entrance of the tower. One day, couples started coming here to vow their love and began hanging locks on the barbed wire fence around the terrace. Now there are thousands of them hanging on the fence and the scene has become the specialty of Namsan. On this warm spring day, there were couples vowing love and decorating the fence with another lock.

From the locks with the love messages to those with photos of the couples…there are many kinds of locks. But there is a rule couples should follow when they vow their love to each other at the roof terrace. After hanging the lock on the fence, they have to throw the key into the forest. That way their love will last forever.

- It’s really fun. We should throw the key so that we can’t unlock it. We wrote on the lock to be together forever. One should find the key in order to break up. Since we have the lock on the fence and threw the key into the woods, our love will last forever.
- Our love seems to have deepened. I love you.
- I love you.

Some couples revisit to check if their locks are safe. It’s getting dark. But even if the darkness falls upon the city, don’t rush down the mountain. The night at the Namsan is more beautiful than the day time.

- Wow, we can see everything. We can look at the stars. I want to see them, too. It’s awesome. Everything can be seen. I thought the Seoul’s view would be blocked. But I fully enjoyed the beauty of Seoul.
- What’s there? That’s where we used to live. The nightscape of Seoul is dazzling. It’s been seven years since we’ve been here. It’s so great since the view is so colorful. The more we see the scene becomes more impressive. It’s a view we haven’t seen before. Come to Nam Mountain to see the night scene.

The city nightscape is one of the must-see tourist attractions for tours all around the world. The mesmerizing night scene of Seoul, home to 10 million people, is best viewed from the Nam Mountain, which is located in the heart of Seoul. People on top of the tower can appreciate the open panoramic night view of Seoul from all four directions illuminated with sparking lights.

If it’s the first day of one’s trip to Seoul, don’t hesitate to head to Nam Mountain and N Seoul Tower. As visitors walk up the hill, their hearts will be soon filled with the clear and refreshing air of the forest in the city. When they get the whole view of Seoul, they can say their first hellos to the venues they plan to tour in the city.