My adventure begins in Suwon, a city near Seoul, famous for the Hwaseong Fortress (the ancient fortress of the city that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The beauty of the fortress is unquestionable and I recommend everyone to visit it. However, on this occasion I wanted to explore all of the other charming places Suwon has to offer. Then, directly from Seoul Station, I took the road to the district of Uman-dong of Suwon City.

Yeonam Park

When I was arriving, I was surprised by the skyline of the neighborhood, full of impressive skyscrapers, large avenues, modern and new public facilities... That is why I didn’t expect to find, in the middle of modernism, one of Suwon's oldest temples: the Bongnyeongsa Temple.

The temple is located in Yeonam Park (연암공원) and, as soon as you enter, you can feel the calmness and tranquility of the place. The sound of traffic begins quieting as you go through a beautiful path with autumnal-coloured trees when, suddenly, the temple appears.

Bongnyeongsa Temple Entrance

Bongnyeongsa

Bongnyeongsa

This beautiful temple is extraordinary for being in the middle of the city, making you feel that you are on the mountain, but also for being a large temple with several chapels and administrative buildings. Founded in 1208, the temple gathers numerous cultural assets of the Gyeonggi province and is also a reference within feminine Buddhism, because this temple is a training and learning center for female monks.

Suwon World Cup Stadium main Entrance

After listening to the Buddhist prayers and becoming charged with inner energy, I continued on my way to the Suwon World Cup Stadium, where the FIFA World Cup matches took place in 2002, organized between Korea and Japan.

Inside The Suwon World Cup Stadium

The stadium, called the Big Bird, has a capacity for 43,900 people and in the lower part there is a museum, the Football Faentasium, where you can remember the games played in that stadium and details about the world cup in general. In addition, if you visit the stadium when a match is not taking place, you can visit the facilities and even go on the field! When visiting this museum, I found out that a match would be played in the stadium the next day, in which the Suwon team would participate, and I surely attended.

Ingyedong district at night

Following the route, I arrived at the hotel zone in the Ingye-dong district, and after leaving my luggage in the room, I went out to discover the area… The surroundings contained several interesting places, such as Hyowon Park where the Wolhwawon garden is. It is a traditional Chinese garden, where the Korean historical fiction drama “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart-Ryeo” was recorded.

Furthermore, a few meters away is the International Sister Cities-themed street, where presents that were given by some sister cities such as Toluca in Mexico, Freiburg in Germany, Fez in Morocco or Fukui in Japan are exhibited. But, the most striking thing about this neighborhood begins at nightfall, since it is a district full of restaurants and coffee shops where young people gather, street food stands and fair stands.

A particularly special road, Na Hye-seok Street, named after one of the most influential Korean feminist poetesses, whose joyful atmosphere is filled with music, lights and fun everywhere. The finishing touches to the end of a great day in Suwon.

Na Hye-seok street at night

Suwon World Cup Stadium

More Information

Hotel Facade

In the Ingye-dong district, one of the trendy neighborhoods in Suwon, is the Vella Suite Hotel. It is located just a few meters from Suwon’s City Hall Station and many restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés, stores, and even cinemas are also a stone’s throw away! In this neighborhood many young people meet daily, and especially on weekends, to enjoy the best nightlife in the city. A few streets from the walking area, is the Vella Suite Hotel, a modern hotel that shines for its cleanliness and comfort.

Hotel Main Reception

Hotel Room

The hotel staff speak English perfectly, who facilitate all the hotel management, and their friendly treatment makes you feel quite welcome. In addition, the instant you enter the hotel, a pure scent is perceived and it makes you disconnect from the noisy streets of the party area and realize that this is the ideal place to rest. The room has a big bed with white sheets and large fluffy pillows that ask you to immerse your dreams in them, but you cannot avoid being distracted by the fine details in the room.

Hotel Toilet

The paintings, quote inspiring phrases that make you reflect on life, the beautiful bathrooms where you can take a relaxing bath in the bathtub or television, are the perfect distractions before having sweets dreams. In addition, each room has a private Wifi network for its guests, as do the common areas, which have Wifi. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and is buffet style. You can choose between fruits, different types of bread, soups, salads, eggs, cereals and other traditional Korean dishes such as bulgogi. Drinks are also included such as milk, juices, coffee or water.

The hotel has a common area on the ground floor with sofas, reading areas and even two massage chairs that work with 1,000W. In conclusion, if we look at the value for money, the Vella Suite Hotel is a hotel that is worth it, especially for its location, the comfort of the rooms and the good attention of the staff.

Hotel Restaurant