6 StripeS KoreA A StArS And StripeS Community publiCAtion tHurSdAy, deCember 18, 2014

Story And photoS by KAt niCKolA,StripeS KroeA

To get there, drive along I-60 eastward

to chuncheon and then follow

route 5 north into hwacheon.

Korea can sometimes seem too crowded. It’s nice to have a place to escape for fresh air, village life and nature. One

such place is Hwacheon; a cute mountain town in the very north of the country. There are no high rise apartments in Hwacheon; nothing gi-ant to block views of the steep green mountains and pretty Bukhan (North Han) river. The town itself is small and quaint with one main shopping road and a nice central market area for getting food or fishing gear. It’s nestled in a V; shaped by the river and a tributary.

In the warmer months Hwacheon is a great place for camping or staying at minbak; for op-tions drive east on route 460 along the river. The camping area is near a very tall waterfall. Though manmade, the waterfall is prettily nes-tled into the river valley and worth the short drive. There is a walkway to the top for a nice view, and in the winter the falls freeze to be-come an ice-climbing center.

Along this same stretch of the Han river, Hwacheon has created its own gorgeous little cycle-way. This is a great bike path along either side of the scenic gorge that is mostly paved or made out of decking to pedal over the water where the bank was too steep. There are even a few spots to cross floating bridges on your bike. Our favorite place along this bike path is south of town on the east side of the river. Near the end of the path is a beautiful garden designed as fields of flowers; a giant tree makes for pret-ty photo opportunities and a serene picnic spot.

Another favorite pastime in Hwacheon is fishing. The area is known for its mountain

trout and the local stores sell lots of fishing gear. There are plenty of small tributaries that look perfect for casting.

High elevation activities abound in the mountains around Hwacheon. We spent one warm fall day rock climbing on mount Yong-wasan, south of town. The views from the top were amazing. There is a trail to the peak, for non-climbers, but be warned that it is super steep (even for Korea!). Ropes along route can are there to help pull yourself up the trail. The effort is well worth it, though. From that peak Korea seemed natural and remote. There were mountain peaks and steep valleys as far as we could see. And, it may have been my imagination, but I think the air was clearer there; the sky bluer; the clouds whiter.

Hwacheon has a few other attrac-tions as well. There is a wonderful, small, but well done folk museum that is free. It highlights the local village fish-ing and farming heritage. The building is just across the river from town. The river itself is an attraction; the waterfront has paddleboats to rent for enjoying the water and the stillness.

I would be remiss to not mention the one thing that does draw large crowds Hwacheon: The Sancheoneo (mountain trout) Ice Festival. In 2015 the festival with run from Jan 10 - Feb 1. Visit www. narafestival.com and click the language flag on the top right for details.

Hwacheon is far to the north and near the DMZ. You will notice a lot of military bases on the drive, and even some anti-troop-movement additions to the roadways if you know what to look for.

6 StripeS KoreA A StAA StAA St rS And StripeS Community publiCAtionCAtionCA

Story Story And photoS by KAt At A niCKolA, trout and the local stores sell lots of fishing

Visit valley town of Hwacheon

an attraction; the waterfront has paddleboats

I would be remiss to not mention the one thing that does draw large crowds Hwacheon: The Sancheoneo (mountain trout) Ice Festival. In 2015 the festival with run from Jan 10 - Feb 1. Visit www. narafestival.com and click the

Hwacheon is far to the north and near the DMZ. You will notice a lot of military bases on the drive, and even some anti-troop-movement additions to the roadways if you know what to

StripeS KoreA 7THURSDAY, DECEmbER 18, 2014 A STARS AnD STRipES CommUniTY pUbliCATion

how to get thereTaebaek is on the KoRail train line, but driving will allow you to more easily get around as most sites are a bit of a ways out of town. From the Osan / Humphreys area you can follow route 38 all the way to Taebaek, or follow I-40 eastward before joining 38. From Seoul take I-50 to I-55 south and then follow route 38.

High in the mountains of eastern Ko-rea, a small town sits in the crook of a river. Shaped like a crescent,

the town of Taebaek is a unique moun-tain paradise. It is part coal town, part ski town, and a relaxing place to get away. Pick up an English speaking tourist map at the Tourist Information Center near the train station to see all there is to do. The area has so much! From caves and hiking to museums and scenic drives; Taebaek is a wonderful place.

The well done Paleozoic Museum is a pleasant surprise on a cold or rainy day. It features the natural history of Korea; there are many fossils and displays that walk guests through Korea’s geology. There are dinosaurs, but the focus is the time period prior to such beasts. My children, aged 7 and 4 were enthralled with the dioramas and interactive exhibits. All displays are in English. Children are ₩1,000 and adults are ₩2,000.

The Coal Museum is another tourist at-traction we found to be surprisingly enjoy-able. It begins with numerous displays of minerals, before focusing on the origin of coal, and moving on to how coal is mined and used. While all displays were in Ko-rean, we find the pictures to be enough for our family. The highlight, though, is tak-ing a faux mine shaft elevator to the lower level where there is a recreated coal mine! It is fascintating to see all the different mining equipment that has been used through time. The museum is free with admission to Taebaeksan Provincial park (₩2,000 parking and ₩2,000 for adults); and sits just inside the entrance.

Getting outdoors is essential in Tae-baek, and hiking Taebaeksan seems to be a Korean rite of passage. It is as popular in the winter as summer, and was consid-ered one of the five sacred mountains dur-ing the Silla dynasty. There is an altar at the top and unique ancient Yew trees said to give the mountain its energy. The main entrance to Taebaeksan Provincial park lies south of Taebaek city along route 31.

Another wonderful hike a little farther from town is along the Dakpoong valley (덕풍계곡). During busy months you may

need to park at the valley entrance where there is a camp ground, but during down times such as when we went in November, the gate was open and we could drive up the valley to the traditional mountain town of Punggok. This is where the hike begins. It is a beautiful trek through a steep can-yon along a trail that is sometimes a metal walkway and at other times a test of bal-ance along riverside rocks. Our family hiked a few miles up to the first of three waterfalls. It was in a dramatically steep canyon that required me to roll up my pants and walk (with a shouldered child) across the river and then shimmy along the bottom of the cliff holding a thick rope. In summer, the water would feel wonder-ful and the deep pool at the base of the falls may be good for a swim. In winter, however, it is freezing!

The drive from Dakpoong valley to Tae-baek is worthwhile as its own attraction along a steep and windy scenic road. Our kids were so excited to see wild deer on this route! There are views of mountains, steep valleys, and the not-too-distant east coast. In fact, nearby Samcheok is another great place to stay if beach activities are more your style. Take route 35 south of Taebaek and eventually follow road 910 to Dakpoong valley.

For the geology buff, there are a few tourist caves in the Taebaek vicinity as well. The biggest is called Hwanseon-gul. It is north of Taebaek along route 38; halfway between Taebaek and the coastal town of Samcheok. There are actually two caves here, but Hwanseongul is larger and offers self-tours along a metal walkway. It is gigantic! Still a very active cave, there is a lot of water and even waterfalls inside. There are also such huge caverns that re-quire suspension bridges. For an addition-al fee there is a monorail up the mountain to the entrance. If the day is nice, howev-er, I recommend hiking one way; there are some amazing waterfalls along the route. Cave entrance is ₩4,000 for adults and ₩2,000 for kids. The monorail is another ₩4,000 one-way or ₩7,000 roundtrip for adults and ₩2,000 for kids.

Taebaek city itself is a cute place to base yourself for touring the area. Down-town has one main road (Hwangji-ro) of cute boutique stores and restaurants. There is also a small central park near the traditional market, but it is otherwise a small non-descript Korean town. It is nicely central to mountain town activities. O2 ski resort is just outside of town, while High resort is not far down the road.

Story And photoS by KAt niCKolA,

StripeS KoreA

Take a terrific trip to tiny Taebaek