Heading to Seoul and looking for a daytrip besides Suwon or Busan? How about heading to Daejeon, South Korea, where the city folks hang out, especially during weekends?
Daejeon is known as the bakery capital of South Korea just a mere hour away from Seoul station. Bread lovers make “pilgrimages” to Daejeon just to get bread and cakes. Travellers hand carrying pastries are a common sight everywhere.
Here’s a lowdown on things to do in Daejeon and bakeries to visit – that is if you are ready to queue for bread!
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Daejeon, South Korea – Where the OG Bakeries Are
The most well-known characteristic of Daejeon is the number of bakeries and queues for the them starting right at the train station.
Upon arrival, you could be able to see the long queues of Sungsimdang bakery otherwise known as the O.G. bakery that sparked the birth of many smaller, independent bakeries in South Korea.
How Daejeon become synonymous with bread began in the fifties following the Korean War. The United States sent large quantities of wheat flour as relief aid and Daejeon station served as the central transportation and storage hub. Because of the cheap access to raw flour, bakers sprouted all around the station district.
Sungsimdang was founded in 1956 (yes it turns 70 this year) as a small steam bun stall and has grown into a very successful independent bakery that was even featured in the Michelin Guide. Besides the outlet at the train station, you can find them in downtown Daejeon and Lotte Departmental store.
Suggested Daytrip Itinerary to Daejeon
Here’s a suggested daytrip itinerary to Daejeon for bread, shopping and a relaxing time:
9 am Arrive in Daejeon Station
9.30 am Walk to the OG Sungsimdang Bakery, queue to get in and make purchases
11 am Head to the Sungsimdang Cake Boutique, queue to get in and make purchases
11.30 am Head to cafe above Sungsimdang Bakery to enjoy pastries and cakes
12 pm Visit stationery shops such as Made By
1 pm Either lunch at a nearby restaurant for its raw squid platter or head to Jungang Market for street food
2 pm Visit next bakeries: Mongsim and/or Cold Butter Bakeshop
3 pm Chill by the Gapcheon and Yudeungcheon streams or cycle using one of the public bicycles
4 pm Shopping at Jungang-no Shopping Street and Daejeon Skyroad
5 pm Final bakery run
6 pm Train back to Seoul
If you need to deposit luggage in lockers, there are aplenty at the train station and down the escalator at the subway station. Heading down the subway would lead you to Jungang Market using the underground exits.
Sungsimdang Bakery & Cake Boutique
Since our intention to visit Daejeon was to visit the bakeries, we made a beeline to Sungsimdang once we arrived. The queues were decent at the time of visit which was mid-afternoon perhaps because some of the popular products were already sold out. Hence heading there earlier or on a weekday could be a wiser choice.
Another tip is to purchase the pastries and bread you want to try, then head to the cafe above the bakery to enjoy them together with drinks.
The bakery and cake boutique easily stood out – from the lines and the well-organised queue systems right outside the stores. It was very interesting to see so many locals eager to get their cakes and pastries, probably travelling from elsewhere just to make their purchases. We seemed to be one of the few foreigners and definitely eager to find out why this bakery was so popular.
I was quite impressed by the customer service since even umbrellas and air coolers were provided for customers in the queue!
Queueing time for both stores was decent, a mere 5 to 20 minutes then into the crowded stores to shop!
The cake boutique had stunning cream cakes for sale, madeleines, swiss rolls and an assortment of sweet treats. Since we were not purchasing them to take back to Seoul, we decided to try a few such as the Matcha flavoured swiss roll, Pecan Pie.
Then we strolled to the bakery at the next building with a wooden frontage. The bakery line was much longer but the queue moved fast. It was also near the Made By stationery store which meant queuers can take turns to shop while waiting.
While gawking at the fresh pastries lined up right next to the window, it wasn’t difficult to understand why the queues were constantly growing by the minute. The delectable shine, the crusty loaves and the amazing variety pleased any palate!
When we finally got into the store after 30 minutes of queuing (we heard this could extend to 2 hours during peak hours), everyone was just trying to get their hands on bread. We tried a good assortment including the famed Soboro, croquette, chestnut bread, pain au chocolat and more.
After payment, we headed to the cafe upstairs which served drinks and also mains like pasta. Enjoying the pastries in the cafe while watching the activity downstairs was a good reward for all that effort.
We highly recommend getting the Tuna croquette and Sausage bun, as well as the Matcha swiss roll.
Now that we were energised with gluten, we could do some shopping.
There is also a cafe concept with some merch for sale across Made by stationery store.
If visiting one bakery is too basic, other bakeries that are within walking distance include Cold Butter Bakeshop and MONGSIM.
Made By & Other Cute Stores
If you love stationery or anything adorable, there are a few stores to check out in Daejeon instead of visiting them in Seoul. Crowds are thinner which meant browsing was pleasant.
Made By stationery store is a must-visit. It stocks products from stickers, posters, felt stickers, crockery with designs by Korean artists. We spent a long time shopping for souvenirs here. The four levels are filled with uniquely designed items that are whimsical and accessibly priced.
Right next to it is another stationery store. Prices are higher for sticker sheets and the variety is superb. They also sell regular stationery, art supplies and tech products.
Within the same area, one can find photobooth stores, Acorn Caricature and fashion stores as well as vintage shops.
If you continue walking, you would see Daejeon Skyroad with projections on pillars and ceilings. There are more stores around to browse if you have time!
Daejeon Stream
One other activity is to head to the stream to enjoy a picnic or just soak in the scenery. There are cycling paths right by the stream and it’s a popular spot to watch the feeding herons, sunset and even enjoy the food from the market and bakeries.
During seasons where the water levels are not high, you can even cross the stream via the stone paths. It’s probably a fun activity for the kids as well, but do watch out for their safety as falling in is a possibility.
Jungang Market
Since we love traditional markets, Jungang Market is one to try the street foods and purchase anything you might need. Prices are definitely lower than Seoul’s and the variety is similar too.
We had some teok and fishcake soup at Jungang Market. We also bought some banchan to take home. Fruit stalls also offer a variety of fruits – we even saw durian! It must be because of its location as a transit point for goods that are imported.
Do note that most stalls close by 7 pm. One popular activity in the evening would be locals eating fresh seafood paired with beer after hours at the seafood stalls. Pity we weren’t adventurous enough to try that.
Other Things to Do in Daejeon
Some of the notable activities in Daejeon include hiking.
Gyejoksan Mountain Red Clay Trail is known for its unique barefoot trekking path. The 14.5 km loop has a dedicated lane filled with red clay for hikers to take advantage of therapeutic benefits. The trail leads up to the ancient Gyejoksanseong Fortress which offers panoramic views of downtown Daejeon.
Jangtaesan Recreational Forest famed for its towering stands of Metasequoia trees is where visitors can walk along the canopy walkway and even stay in vacation cabins.
However these activities would require one to stay at least a night in Daejeon.
Perfect for a Daytrip and More
Head to Daejeon for a different bakery-centric outing while you’re holidaying in Seoul. Even if you are not into bakes, there are shopping streets and other outdoor activities too.
