Fodor's Expert Review Gyeongui Line Forest Park

Often likened to New York City’s High Line, the Gyeongui Line Forest Park is a narrow green space that stretches 6.3 km (3.9 miles) over train tracks that once led to North Korea. Train service was suspended in 1951 after the two Koreas divided and the area was mostly urbanized until 2009, when the idea to build the park was greenlit. Today, the park is divided into four main sections, with the section outside Hongdae Station Exit 3 being the most popular. In summer, buskers play guitar on one of the many benches and picnickers laze on the grass with drinks from nearby convenience stores, but the park is busy year-round as it’s surrounded by trendy restaurants and cafes. Venture outside the Hongdae Station area (further outside Exit 3 or Exit 2) for pleasant, little surprises: a row of bookshops, remnants of the old tracks, and meet-ups of neighborhood dogs.