Inwangsan Mountain

Inwangsan rises to 338 metres directly behind the old western wall of Seoul, and it is bare granite for much of its upper half - slabs, domes and boulders, with pines growing out of cracks in them. The Hanyangdoseong, the fortress wall that ringed the Joseon capital, runs over the ridge and can be walked from here toward Bugaksan, with the city on one side and the western districts on the other. What makes Inwangsan different from Seoul's other hiking peaks is Guksadang, a shamanist shrine relocated to the slope in the 1920s, and the Seonbawi rocks above it - two weathered pillars said to resemble robed monks, where people still come to pray for sons, examinations and recovery. On most mornings you can hear drums and chanting from the rock hollows. The paths are short but the granite is steep and there are handrails on the exposed sections.

What you actually see

• The granite slabs - bare rock and pines over the upper slopes.
• Seonbawi rocks - the robed-figure pillars and the praying.
• Guksadang shrine - the shamanist shrine on the hillside.
• The fortress wall - the Joseon rampart along the ridge.

When to go

April to June and September to November; autumn colour on the lower slopes is good. Mornings for the shrine activity and clear air.

Honest expectations

The rock sections are steep and slippery when wet. Shrine areas are places of active worship - watch quietly and do not photograph people praying. Parts of the ridge close at dusk.

Nearby

Seodaemun and Sajik Park are below; Bugaksan and the wall trail continue east.