Escape into Nature with Chuncheon

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It’s time to introduce to you another city in Korea! And this time we’re showing you around Chuncheon which actually translates to ‘a stream that flows when spring comes.’ How fitting is that name because this city surrounds the Soyang River, Han River, and many smaller river islands too! Being a romantic city, Chuncheon is a place where you may have seen featured in many Korean movies and dramas 🥰 So keep an eye out throughout this K-city tour as you may have seen a couple of these places before!

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Being a lakeside city, we have to start with Mulle-gil, a suitable introduction to what Chuncheon is all about. Mulle-gil refers to a waterway in the river where you can enjoy plenty of water sports. For a unique experience, Chuncheon Mulle-gil offers you the chance to canoe around Uiamho lake for a peaceful escape and enjoy the beautiful views. This particular place has been featured on many famous Korean TV shows like “Running Man” and “2 Days, 1 Night,” and has become a tourist attraction because of this. If you're already around this area, going to Uiamho Lake Skywalk is not to be missed. When you stand on the Uiamho skywalk, you will encounter a beautiful view of Samaksan Mountain and of course, the Uiamho Lake. Just be careful if you are scared of heights as this skywalk boasts a high 12 metres above water, an experience for you to feel like you are walking on water 😳

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After enjoying Chuncheon’s surrounding lakes, let’s move further on land to enjoy all the sightseeing pleasures of the city. There are a couple to mention, so let’s start with the Jade Garden Natural Arboretum. This is a beautiful garden inspired by the theme of ‘Small Europe in the Forest.’ You'll see this straight upon entrance as you are met with a beautiful building featuring Tuscan-style architecture. It’s a themed garden, featuring trails like the Tree Scent Trail and Maple Tree Trail, as well as a walking course that shows you around the arboretum’s 24 beautifully-themed gardens. If you’ve seen the famous k-drama, “That Winter, the Wind Blows” and “Angels Last Mission: Love,” the sceneries may be familiar to you.

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And don’t forget to leave some time to visit Namiseom Island, especially if it’s around the autumn season in Korea. An island located in the city, it is most famous for being the filming location of the k-drama “Winter Sonata”. The Metasequoia Road and Songpa Ginkgo Tree Lane are two of the island’s most popular attractions. Just like the name suggests, the Metasequoia Road is lined with Metasequoia trees that are so high they block out any sunlight. The Songpa Ginkgo Tree Lane reaches its peak in late October and early November, with both attractions being equally breath-taking. Enjoy the vibrant greenery in the summer or beautiful warm orange and brown tones that reflect autumn landscape perfectly.

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After all the sightseeing, we can’t forget about all the good food to try out. Chuncheon is most famous for two Korean dishes, Dakgalbi (닭갈비), Spicy Stir-fried Chicken, and Makguksu (막국수), Buckwheat Noodles. If there is a place for Dakgalbi, Chuncheon Myeongdong Street is not to be missed. You may have heard of Myeongdong Street because it’s actually located in Seoul, but this one in Chuncheon is a mini-version of it. The busiest street in the city, it’s filled with all your shopping spree needs and even a movie theatre. Oh, and if you are a fan of k-drama “Winter Sonata,” there are statues and handprints of the main leads here as well. Found in Myeongdong Street is Dakgalbi Street, an alley lined with stir-fried chicken restaurants. It came about in the 1970’s to 1980’s as dakgalbi restaurants opened one by one. You know it’s going to be traditional when these restaurants have been here for over a decade!

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And for the refreshing Makguksu, there are plenty of restaurants for it everywhere in Chuncheon, especially downtown. It’s such a signature that there’s even a Makguksu Museum. The museum is all about makguksu, with the exterior even looking like a hotpot and stone mortar in which this dish is cooked in. Here, not only will you learn all the history of Makguksu but you get to curb your hunger by making your own makguksu, right from the beginning of kneading the dough for the noodles to mixing the vegetables and signature spicy sauce together before you dig right in. 

A trip to Chuncheon isn’t to be missed especially if you love some of the most iconic k-dramas and even korean variety shows. It’s a beautiful place to spend a day or two for you to explore the alluring sceneries this city has to offer. There’s plenty of attractions to go and see that offer you a little bit of adventure against the backdrop of the calming and peaceful rivers surrounding Chuncheon. Hopefully, you got to see an insight of another culture-filled K-city and feel free to let us know what our next one should be 🤔