[Joyongjun's Travel Journey] Finding the Fairy Tale Village Hidden in Winter

Bonghwa Daily Christmas
Samcheok High1 Chuchu Park
Jeongeup Europe Engelberg

High1 Chuchu Park - Switchback Train Zigzagging Up the Rugged Mountain Terrain

Bonghwa Buncheon Santa Village

There is a village where every day of the year feels like Christmas. It is Bonghwa, a representative remote mountain village in Korea. Against the backdrop of layers of surrounding mountains, the red roofs look quaint. Along the grand and sturdy Obongsan mountain range, there is a mountain village where snow flowers bloom brightly. The snowy mountains viewed from the switchback train zigzagging up the rugged mountainous terrain are truly worthy of being called Switzerland. And that's not all. There are also places like Gapyeong Italy Village and Jeongeup Europe Village, where you can meet the purity and romance within yourself. December is the month to wrap up the year. If you are looking for a romantic place, how about a fairy tale village like a dream? We introduce exotic and fantastic travel destinations decorated with unique themes. Incidentally, the Korea Tourism Organization has also selected 'Fairy Tale Villages in Winter' as recommended travel destinations for December.

#Bonghwa - A Village Where Every Day is Christmas, Bunchon Santa Village Accessible by Train

Rudolph and Santa models at Bunchon Station Plaza

There is a village where every day of the year is Christmas. It is not a distant European story but the Bunchon Santa Village in Bonghwa-gun, Korea. When you take the slow train and get off at Bunchon Station, a quaint station with red roofs stands against the backdrop of layers of surrounding mountains. The square in front of the station is filled with Christmas atmosphere regardless of the season.

The first thing that catches the eye is the cute model of Rudolph pulling a sled. Four Rudolphs with red noses and antlers pull a sled on which Santa Claus, dressed in red with a white beard, can be seen. You can sit next to Santa Claus on the sled and take commemorative photos. Various photo zones line the square. Taking joyful photos with playful Santas and colorful trains as backgrounds brings you back to the world of childhood innocence you had forgotten. You can write postcards at the Santa Post Office to be delivered next Christmas, and enjoy riding the Rudolph train, making the winter day feel too short. A festival is held from December 21 centered around Bunchon Santa Village with its clustered red roofs.

Boarding the V-Train (Baekdudaegan Canyon Train), you rattle along the V-shaped carved Baekdudaegan canyon. You will see landscapes that can only be encountered by train, and get off at Yangwon Station, the smallest station in Korea, and Seungbu Station, a mountain village station known as ‘the sky is three pyeong, and the flower garden is three pyeong.’ The pristine remote scenery can be explored on foot along the Nakdong Jeongmaek Trail, which has reopened after flood damage repairs. At the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum, you can meet the Baekdusan tiger, and at Eokjichunyang Market, you can experience the generous taste and spirit of the mountain village market. Korea has about 650 pavilions, and Bonghwa alone has 103. Enjoy the living pavilion culture at the Bonghwa Pavilion Cultural Life Center.

#Samcheok - Exotic Scenery Mistaken for Switzerland, High1 Chuchu Park

High1 Chuchu Park

Snow flowers bloom brightly along the grand and sturdy Obongsan mountain range. The snowy mountains viewed from the switchback train zigzagging up the rugged mountainous terrain are so white they almost look blue. Samcheok High1 Chuchu Park is a railway-themed resort, featuring Korea’s only switchback train, a mountain rail bike that winds down the old Yeongdong Line railway, a kids’ cafe and experiential indoor zoo, and detached resort facilities, making it a fairy tale-like train village travel destination. The switchback train, which first opened in 1963, had to close its 50-year history in June 2012 when the Solan Tunnel was completed, but High1 Chuchu Park preserved the switchback section and sounded its whistle again. The exterior resembles a steam locomotive, while the interior is classically decorated to add interest. It runs vigorously twice a day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. This unique train journey climbs the steep mountainside in a zigzag (之-shaped) pattern, alternating forward and backward movements. It stops at Heungjeon Sakdo Village, where you can enjoy a bowl of banquet noodles sold by the village women’s association, adding to the winter romance. High1 Chuchu Park is also part of the Untan Godeu 7 Trail, which connects the mining areas of Yeongwol, Jeongseon, Taebaek, and Samcheok into a single route. The nearby Tongri Tantang Park, which holds Korea’s coal seams, is also close by. The mine tunnel, illuminated by media art, starts from the ‘Path Holding Memories’ and leads to the ‘Path Seeking Light,’ retracing the history and future of mining.

Nearby Dokye Glass Land uses coal waste from mining operations to create a cultural space that fuses art and regeneration, with glass blowing demonstrations as a highlight. Opposite Dokye Tree Land is a space to easily understand forest resources and get close to wood, with a popular wooden playground. About 15 minutes by car away in Dokye-eup, the natural monument Dokye-ri Long-leaf Zelkova tree, estimated to be over 1,000 years old, has long protected the village.

#Gapyeong - A Place to Meet the Purity and Romance Within, Italy Village Pinocchio and Da Vinci

Italy Village Pinocchio and Da Vinci

Italy Village Pinocchio and Da Vinci is Korea’s only Italy-themed park, opened in May 2021. Located in Cheongpyeong-myeon on a spacious site of about 33,000㎡, it faithfully reproduces the architectural style of Italy’s Tuscany region and operates 23 spaces, each with its own story, to deeply immerse visitors in Italian art and culture. Throughout the visit, you might feel as if you have come to Italy. As the name suggests, the main themes of Italy Village Pinocchio and Da Vinci are ‘Pinocchio’ and ‘Da Vinci.’ The village has an official partnership with the Collodi Foundation, honoring Carlo Collodi, the author of ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio,’ and offers permanent exhibitions and performances themed on Pinocchio. It also exhibits works related to Leonardo da Vinci, the representative Italian artist of the Renaissance, showcasing his achievements and life. In December, the ‘Pinocchio & Little Prince Starlight Festival’ is held, shining brightly throughout the winter. With an integrated ticket, visitors can also tour the sister village, Petite France.

Petite France, Korea’s first French-themed park opened in 2008, offers a themed journey inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exup?ry’s novel ‘The Little Prince.’ Jarasum, created when Cheongpyeong Dam was completed in 1943, offers opportunities for walking and camping. The Garden of Morning Calm, opened near Chukryeongsan in 1994, provides the mystery and beauty of Korean gardens throughout the year. In the tranquil nature of Gapyeong, where art and culture coexist, why not rediscover the purity and romance within yourself, hidden away by the harshness of life?

#Daejeon - A Sunset Spot Flowing with Romance, Daedong Sky Park

Daedong Sky Park Sunset

On the way up to Daedong Sky Park lies Daedong Sky Village, where houses were built closely together, leaning against each other decades ago. People fleeing during the Korean War settled in Daejeon and began building homes, forming the current neighborhood. After decades, you can now encounter the old scenery forgotten in memories here. Thanks to murals painted throughout, the village atmosphere is cozy and charming. On the opposite side of the windmill, you can see Love Rock at Daedong Sky Park. The name ‘Love Rock’ has an interesting origin. Because large families lived in narrow houses, young couples or lovers had no proper place to share their love, so they whispered sweet nothings at Love Rock. A windmill, symbolic of the park, stands at Daedong Sky Park. It is famous as a sunset spot, so you must arrive before sunset. Standing on the hill where the windmill turns, you cannot miss the view of the sunset beyond the city. At the top of the stairs leading to Daedong Sky Park, you are welcomed by a yellow star-shaped sculpture and numerous colorful pinwheels. The view from the newly renovated red windmill is more than worth the effort to climb here. Slowly enjoy the moving scene of the red sunset and the romantic night view of downtown Daejeon.

Sojedong, where Daedongcheon Stream flows, was a residential area for Japanese railway employees and technicians in the early 1900s. Cafes and restaurants remodeled from buildings of that era form a cafe street. The Daejeon Bread Festival is held here in September. Namganjeongsa is a seodang (Confucian academy) built in 1683 by Wooam Song Si-yeol, a high-ranking official during King Sukjong’s reign in the Joseon Dynasty. There is a small pond in the yard, and a crape myrtle tree said to have been planted by Song Si-yeol himself remains. Munchungsa is a shrine enshrining the memorial tablets of Song Byeong-seon and Song Byeong-sun, brothers and loyal subjects in the late Joseon period, who were ninth-generation descendants of Wooam Song Si-yeol. At the entrance are a Hongsalmun gate and a loyal subject memorial pavilion, and inside the shrine are portraits of the brothers. Their descendants still live nearby and manage the shrine.

#Jeongeup - Europe or Jeongeup? Europe Village Engelberg

Europe Village Engelberg

Jeongeup is not just about Jeongeupsa. Europe Village Engelberg makes you wonder if you are really in Jeongeup. Developed by CEO Kim Byung-jo as a wellness tourism resort village, it encompasses European culture centered on Germany. It feels like a year-end trip to Europe in an instant.

The easiest place for travelers to access is the Euro Market Bakery Cafe. Antique items and furniture decorating every corner resemble a European mansion. The bakery cafe operates an afternoon tea menu consisting of tea and desserts by reservation only, and only those with reservations can tour the third-floor antique lounge. The antique lounge is filled entirely with antique furniture and items. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour lasting about 30 minutes.

Within Europe Village Engelberg, the Oriental Tyrol Tea Museum is worth seeing. The tea utensils and teaware collected over half a century by Director Lee Yang-su of Hyangwondang are displayed, representing Korea, China, and Japan, creating an Eastern atmosphere within Europe. After leaving the tea museum, take a stroll through the European village. The double-pitched roofs and spires of buildings inspired by German villages create an exotic ambiance.

Jeongeupsa and the history of Korean popular songs can be seen at Korean Popular Song Village Dalha. Gallery Cafe EOIL Space permanently exhibits works by David Hockney and others. Jeongeup Ssanghwa Tea Street, perfect for warming your cold body, is also an excellent winter travel destination.