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Overview of Sheraton & W Hotel
The Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel, a five-star property, is ideal for business travelers with the capacity to accommodate large-scale conventions, while at the same time offering a efreshing escape for leisure travelers looking for a special getaway. Guest can enjoy being tucked away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul, while conveniently situated within minutes of Seoul’s popular attractions. http://www.sheratonwalkerhill.co.kr
The W Seoul-Walkerhill, the world’s foremost “style” hotel brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc. is the first W Hotels debut in Asia. Billed as a sumptuous haven with urban sensibilities, with unique design and dramatic use of space and color, W Seoul-Walkerhill promises to WOW guests with a stunning new lifestyle experience by rejecting the carbon-copy sensibility of traditional hotels http://www.whotels.com/seoul or http://www.wseoul.com
Seoul, Republic of Korea
In the Center of Asian Metropolises Located at 126 59' E and 37 34' N, Seoul is at the heart of the Korean Peninsula. The city is nearly equidistant from the southeastern port of Busan and the northwestern town of Sinuiju on the China-North Korea border. The city is also conveniently located in the middle of several major northeast Asian metropolises, such as Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei. The city is some 30.3 km from north to south and 36.78 km east to west. Its total area is 605.41 square kilometers, making it a truly large metropolis. Seoul sits in a natural basin. Surrounding the city are a number of peaks of 500 meters or more above sea level. These peaks have historically played the role of a natural fortress, providing the city with protection from invasion. In fact, the mountains were a key reason behind the location's selection as the national capital.
Among the major peaks surrounding Seoul are Bukhansan (Seoul's highest peak at 836m), Dobongsan (740m), Inwangsan (338m) and Gwanaksan (629m). Other peaks include Bugaksan (342m), the guardian peak protecting the presidential palace of Cheongwadae, and Namsan (232m), which historically guarded the old city of Seoul to the south.
Center of Korean Culture Located to the west of the central region of the Korean Peninsula, Seoul, the capital city of the Republic of Korea, has been the center of the country in its long history from the prehistoric era to the present day. Seoul emerged as the capital city before the Common Era. Its emergence occurred during the early days of Baekje, one of the three kingdoms that existed in the peninsula for over a millennium. Baekje’s rich and brilliant culture became the basis for cultivating Korea’s cultural history. During the Three Kingdoms Era, it was the strategic region all those three rival countries competed for, which illustrates the substantial significance of Seoul during that era. After the unified Silla period and the Goryeo Dynasty, Seoul again became the capital of the Joseon Dynasty with its foundation in 1394. Since then, the city has been maintained as the historical center of the country. Now in its 600th year of official history, Seoul is a city where Korea’s traditional and modern cultures coexist. Geographically, it is an extraordinary example of good location, as mountains, rivers and urban spaces all combine to produce a picture-perfect city.
Historical Sites Seoul has so many historic attractions from the various periods of its history, many of which have been maintained in their original states. These attractions, like jewels in a secret treasure chest, are hidden here and there throughout the densely developed city. Traveling between these sites one has the distinct impression that they have stepped through a time portal into Korea’s past. Indeed, when surrounded by the humbling presence of the past, and the valuable insights it provides, it is impossible not to take away a long-lasting impression about the culture and history of Korea. Besides the popular Joseon Dynasty palaces, such as Gyeongbokgung and the four other major palaces, there are various other kinds of historic attractions in Seoul, the old tombs fortress walls and prehistoric remains being but two notable examples.
The city features various prehistoric remains and relics from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, which have been preserved in as close to their original states as is possible. By taking this prehistoric trip through time in the middle of the city, you will be led to the essence of the classical Korean arts, which can never be repeated in today’s art world. It has been said that Koreans are good at endeavors involving delicate handiwork, a belief borne out by the various architectural works and artwork located at the many historical sites. And some of the fortresses command wonderful views of Seoul. The fortress walls exist in harmony with their surrounding environment, as there is a plentitude of flower and tree species growing around them. Seoul Fortress once spread its walls around the old Joseon Dynasty capital of Hanyang (an old name for Seoul). With Bugaksan (Mt.) as its center, it linked Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan. The fortress, once stretching 18.127 kilometers, used to feature four main gates and four smaller gates. Located over the Jongno-gu, Jung-gu and Seongbuk-gu areas, this particular historical site is easy to find.
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