Nowon District to Sequentially Open 'Italy Pavilion, Jump, and Riverside Cafes'

Train Village to Open on January 31
Youth Sports Complex and Riverside Cafes Also Set to Launch

Nowon District in Seoul (Mayor Oh Seungrok) is set to unveil a series of high-quality leisure and healing facilities this year. On January 7, the district announced that the Train Village Italy Pavilion, the unique youth sports complex 'Jump,' and two new riverside emotional cafes will open in succession.

Nowon District to Sequentially Open 'Italy Pavilion, Jump, and Riverside Cafes'

Bird's-eye view of Ui Maru along the Ui Stream. Provided by Nowon District Office.

The first to open will be the Train Village Italy Pavilion. As a follow-up to the popular Train Village Switzerland Pavilion, which opened at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in 2022, the Italy Pavilion has been built on a scale more than twice as large. The pavilion features miniature trains running through recreations of Italy’s cultural heritage sites and natural landscapes, including the Colosseum, Florence Duomo, and Venetian gondolas.

The opening ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on January 31. Together with the European-style express train restaurant 'Express Nowon by Mirage,' which opened last year, it is expected to become a popular railroad park destination.

In April, the unique youth sports complex 'Jump' (252-6 Hagye-dong) will open. With a total floor area of 8,612 square meters, it will be the largest indoor sports experience facility in Korea. It will offer indoor go-karts, artificial rock climbing, aerial zipline experiences, and a survival zone featuring laser tag. A variety of kids’ zones and AR play facilities will also be available, ensuring year-round enjoyment for both children and teenagers.

Two additional public riverside cafes will also open. After big data analysis showed that urban leisure activities along the riverside were highly popular, the district has been steadily expanding facilities that combine waterfront ambiance with leisure convenience. Last year, Dumulmaru, located at the confluence of Jungnangcheon and Danghyeoncheon, and Danghyeonmaru, along the Danghyeoncheon promenade, gained explosive popularity.

In April this year, 'Ui Maru' will be the first to open near Beolli Bridge along the Ui Stream. Selected as part of Seoul’s Waterfront Revitalization Project, this space, adjacent to Choaansan Hydrangea Garden, is expected to become a key leisure hub for the Wolgye-dong area.

In June, the 'Gyeongchun Railway Bridge Observatory Cafe' will open on the Gyeongchun Railway Bridge over Jungnangcheon. Visitors will be able to relax on the bridge while viewing fountains on both sides, and the cafe will be designed in the shape of a train to reflect the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail theme.

Mayor Oh Seungrok stated, "With the recent expansion of high-quality leisure facilities, I feel an even greater sense of responsibility in response to the positive feedback from residents. We will continue to ensure that everyone in Nowon, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy refined and emotionally fulfilling leisure activities anywhere in the district."