In today’s post, I’ll share with you the top 10 places to visit in Gangwon Province.
Wonju Museum San
SAN is the acronym for Space, Art, and Nature, and it also means “mountain” because it is located in the middle of a mountain about 275 meters above sea level. A must-see destination in Wenzhou, Museum Mountain is the work of world-renowned architect Tadao Ando. It consists of a welcome center, flower garden, water garden, main building, meditation hall, stone garden, and the James Turrell Hall.
- Hours: Closed on Mondays
- Admission: Basic ticket: Adults 19,000 won, children 11,000 won
- Address: 260, Oak Valley 2-gil, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do
Wonju Salt Mountain Footbridge
Mountain footpath bridges are installed for the convenience of mountain hikers. They exist to connect disconnected hiking trails and ensure the safety of rough roads. Most of Korea’s representative mountain footbridges were built for this purpose. These include the Chulungdari Bridge in Gamaksan Mountain in Paju, Gyeonggi-do, the Sky Bridge in Cheongnyangsan Mountain in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk, and the Cloud Bridge in Gubongsan Mountain in Jinan, Jeonbuk. However, Salt Mountain Chulungdari in Wonju is a little different. From the observation deck of the skywalk on the rocky peak of Salt Mountain, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Seomgang River.
- Hours: Closed on Mondays
- Entrance fee : 3,000 won
- Address: 12, Saltsan-gil, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si
Inje Wondae-ri Birch Forest
Wondae-ri Birch Forest, a natural ecotourism destination near Inje-eup, was created by planting 690,000 birch trees on 138 ha from 1974 to 1995. Now, 25 ha of it operates as a forest experience center for infants. Visitors can explore the birch forest on foot after registering at the entrance. As a space designed to provide ecological, aesthetic, and educational values unique to the birch forest, it has become a representative natural ecotourism destination in Inje-gun.
- Hours : Closed on Mondays
- Admission Fee : Free
- Address: 75-22, Wondaryeosan, Inje-eup, Inje-gun
Sokcho Abai Village
Sokcho is the sea, the sea is summer, and if not the sea, Seoraksan Mountain. That’s what comes to mind when you think of Sokcho. In Sokcho, a representative tourist destination in South Korea represented by the summer sea and Seoraksan Mountain, there is a village where displaced people used to live. It is Abai Village, where the first generation of displaced people gathered and formed a village. ‘Abai’ is the dialect of the grandfather’s Hamgyeong Island.
- Hours : 00:00 – 24:00
- Entrance Fee : None
- Address: 122, Cheongho-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Chuncheon Jade Garden
The filming location for the dramas Love Rain and The Wind in the Winter, Jade Garden covers an area of 160,000 square meters near Jade Palace Golf Course.
Jade Garden utilizes the natural valley terrain as it is. The flowers and trees, architectural style, and building layout are in accordance with the European style.
- Hours: 09:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Adults 10,000 won, middle and high school students 7,000 won, children 6,000 won
- Address : 911, Seocheon-ri San, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
Nami Island, Chuncheon
Nami Island, the island of fairy tale songs, was originally a small peak made of hilly land. Today, it is a pristine cultural and natural ecological treasure. Furthermore, they send love and beautiful memories to lovers.
- Opening hours: 07:30 – 21:30
- Admission Fee : General 13,000 won, Preferential 10,000 won, Special 7,000 won
- Address: 1 Namisum-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
Jeongseon Arirang Train
The Jeongseon Arirang Train is a sightseeing train organized by Korail that travels between Taebaek Line, Jeongseon Line, and Jungang Line. It uses the Mugunghwa, which was used as a rail cruise ship, after renovation. Nowadays, it operates as a special class of Saemaul.
- Address: Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do
Yangyang Naksansa Temple
In 671 (11th year of King Munmu of Silla), Sangsu-daesa went into a cave after hearing that Kannon Bodhisattva’s true form was staying there. During this time, Kannon Bodhisattva appeared and presented him with a prayer bead made of crystal. He also instructed him where to build a temple. Consequently, Sangsu-daesa built a temple here and called it Naksansa Temple.
Now, it houses many valuable Seongbo cultural properties, including Treasure No. 1723, the public stupa. Additionally, it hosts Treasure No. 1362, the seven Kannon Bodhisattva statues, and Treasure No. 499, the seven-story stone pagoda. Other features include the Haeju Kannon statue and the Cheonsu Kannon statue.
- Opening hours: 06:00 – 17:00
- Entrance fee: Adults 4,000 won, middle and high school students 1,500 won, elementary school students 1,000 won
- Address: 100 Naksansa-ro, Ganghyeon-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do
Yeongwol Peninsula Topography
Located in Ongjeong-ri, Hanban-myeon, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do, it is a nationally designated cultural property, Scenic Beauty No. 75. You can also enjoy the rarely seen sunset.
- Address: Ongjeong-ri, Hanban-myeon, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do
Taebaek Taebaeksan National Park
Baeksan National Park covers an area of 17.44 square kilometers. The park includes the 1,567-meter-high Mount Taebaek, the Taebaek Coal Museum, Hwangji, Yongjeong, and other attractions and cultural relics in the area. Mount Taebaek is a national sacred mountain rising in the center of the Baekdudaegan. The highest peak is Janggunbong, and many alpine plants grow on the summit.
- Address: 166 Cheonjedan-gil, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do
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