[One Day Walk] West Sea Sunset and Wolmi 8 Views... Wolmi Sea Train

[Editor's Note] The subway is not only a transportation method that anyone can easily access and travel safely but also an important part of daily walking. We introduce walkable spots around subway stations.

Today's featured course is the Wolmi Sea Train. It is the longest urban tourist monorail in Korea, circulating around Incheon's Wolmido, selected as one of the Top 100 Korean Tourist Attractions by the Korea Tourism Organization in 2019. The total operating distance is 6.1 km, and traveling one lap around Wolmido at an average speed of 9 km/h takes about 42 minutes. The Wolmi Sea Train's track is elevated from 7 meters to a maximum height of 18 meters above ground, offering views of Wolmido's scenery, Incheon Inner Port, the West Sea, and even the distant Incheon Bridge. Especially, it is a new representative tourist attraction of Incheon where visitors can enjoy the beautiful sunset over the West Sea at a glance. It stops at Wolmi Sea Station, Wolmi Park Station, Wolmi Culture Street Station, and Museum Station. Getting off at each station to explore nearby attractions is also quite enjoyable.

Among the eight scenic spots of the Wolmi Sea Train introduced by Incheon Transit Corporation, the first is the Silo Mural. The cylindrical large building with murals is a grain storage facility called a "Silo." It stands 48 meters tall, equivalent to a 22-story apartment building, and the murals on its exterior wall are the world's largest outdoor murals, registered in the Guinness Book in December 2018. These murals were painted by 22 experts over about 100 days using 865,400 liters of paint, covering an area of 23,689 square meters, which is 1.4 times larger than the previous record held by the Pueblo Dam mural in Colorado, USA. In March 2019, it also won the German iF Design Award main prize.

Wolmi Park
Photo by Incheon Transit Corporation

The second scenic spot is Wolmi Mountain (Wolmi Park), a fierce battleground of the Incheon Landing Operation. For half a century, public access was restricted, turning it into a natural forest and a sanctuary for wildlife such as squirrels and owls. In 2001, a walking trail was created, and it was reborn as "Wolmi Park." Climbing to the summit of Wolmi Mountain offers panoramic views of Incheon Port, the West Sea, and Incheon International Airport. The third scenic spot, Wolmi Culture Street, is a rest and cultural event space utilizing views of the Incheon Bridge and the West Sea. It features a starlight, water, and event plaza, an observatory, and rest and themed areas where visitors can directly experience the sea. Along the street, there are sashimi restaurants and cafes where you can enjoy meals or coffee while admiring the sea view. The Wolmi Culture Street area also has various amusement facilities such as a Ferris wheel, Viking ship ride, and Disco Pang Pang, allowing citizens to enjoy thrills and fun.

Incheon Bridge [Photo by Incheon Transit Corporation]

The fourth scenic spot is the West Sea sunset. Riding the Wolmi Sea Train allows you to see the magnificent sea of Incheon and the West Sea sunset. On the Wolmi Sea Train coastal course, the vast sea unfolds, offering views of Yeongjong Bridge, Palmido Island, Yongyudo Island, and Incheon Bridge. The West Sea sunset viewed from Wolmido is so beautiful that it is a must-see at least once in a lifetime. Extending long toward the seaside is the fifth scenic spot, Wolmido Lighthouse Road. Along the wooden boardwalk, historical materials of Incheon are exhibited. The sixth scenic spot, Incheon Bridge, connects Yeongjong Interchange in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, and Yeonsu Junction in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu. It is a highway bridge forming part of the Second Gyeongin Expressway. Construction began in 2005, completed on October 16, 2009, and vehicle traffic started on October 19, 2009. The total bridge section is 18.35 km long.

Incheon Port Lock [Photo by Incheon Transit Corporation]

The seventh and eighth scenic spots are the Incheon Port Lock Gate and Incheon Inner Port. The lock gate is the only one of its kind in Korea. It was built to overcome the maximum 10-meter tidal difference between high and low tides. A lock gate is an important facility that traps seawater during high tide to maintain a constant water depth, enabling ship loading and unloading even during low tide. The first lock gate was built in 1918, and the current second lock gate was constructed in 1974. Incheon Inner Port opened as Jemulpo Port in 1883, and with the completion of the lock gate in 1974, it overcame the 10-meter tidal range and became a driving force of South Korea's economy. With the construction of Incheon New Port and others, the utilization rate and idle land of Incheon Inner Port have increased, leading to port redevelopment projects.