Quarry Observatory채석장 전망대

About

Quarry Observatory was built at the top of the former quarry in Changsin-dong and offers views of both the city and nature. Changsin-dong, on the slopes of Naksan Mountain along the Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong), was once home to a quarry. During the Japanese colonial period, buildings such as the Government-General of Korea, the old Seoul Station, and the Bank of Korea were under construction, and stone was needed for their exteriors. Naksan, made of high-quality granite and close enough for easy transport, was a convenient source of building materials. The sheer cliffs and cut-away land that make the mountain look as if it had been sliced off remain at Naksan in Changsin-dong as traces of the exploitation of that period. After the Korean War, quarrying stopped, and migrants and refugees gathered here to form a village. Follow the stairs up through the village and you will come to a long, rectangular building: Quarry Observatory. The Changsin-Sungin Quarry Observatory opened on top of the quarry in November 2019 and offers a clear, unobstructed view of the Seoul skyline. The second floor is indoors and has a coffee shop, Cafe Nakta. It can be reached only by elevator, as there are no stairs, and you can enjoy the scenery through its glass windows. The third floor is outdoors, where you can feel the cool breeze while taking in the view of downtown Seoul and its natural surroundings. Around sunset, the glow of the evening sky followed by the beautiful night view will make you want to stay a while.