Natural Attractions in Korea

Author:
lilian_sg
Updated:
Aug 13, 2013

Mount Sorak

Before going to Korea, I did not know that the country is made up of about 70% to 80% of mountainous area. This became more and more obvious as I explored South Korea. During my one week trip, I visited Mount Sorak National Park, which is one of the most beautiful and popular national parks in Korea. During winter, many Koreans enjoy skiing at the resorts located here. As I visited in summer, there was of course no snow to be seen.

At the national park, we took a cable car up to Gwongeumseong. Do take note that the cable car ride may not be available during bad weather or maintenance period. Besides that, the cable car does not actually bring you all the way to the top. There is still quite a long hike before you reach the peak and enjoy the beautiful view of the East Sea and city of Sokcho. Here, you can also see the many rocks and stones which make up Mount Sorak.

View from Top of Mount Sorak

The view from the top of Mount Sorak on a clear day.

Teddy Bear Museum

Teddy Bear Museum at Mount Sorak

The Teddy Bear Museum is not exactly a natural attraction but I included it here as the branch I visited was located at Mount Sorak. It is pretty small and it takes less than half an hour to explore the whole area. However, there are lots of photo-taking opportunities with the cute bears. There are bears in various themes such as wearing Korean traditional clothes and bears in the shape of bees and even polar bears.

The Great Unification Buddha at Shinheungsa Temple

"Tongil Daebul" a sitting Buddha at the Shinheungsa Temple at Mount Sorak.

Shingheungsa Temple at Mount Sorak

Shinheungsa Temple is located in the Seoraksan (Mount Sorak) National Park. It is about a thousand years old. At the temple, you will see a huge sitting Buddha flanked by lotuses. Visitors can also spend some time admiring the traditional architecture of the pavilions and bridge located in the area.

Flowers Blooming at Nami Island

Nami Island is really beautiful in summer despite looking very unlike the Winter Sonata landscape.

Nami Island: Beautiful throughout Four Seasons

Nami Island is most famous for its winter landscape when the island is covered by snow. This is because Winter Sonata, a famous Korean drama, was filmed there in winter. However, even during the other seasons, the island is still very beautiful. I was there in summer and the flowers were blooming. The tall trees around the island also provide some shade from the hot sun.

More of Beautiful Nami Island

One of the many lanes on Nami Island lined by trees.

The island was created as a result of the construction of the Cheongpyeong dam. Today, it is visited by many tourists. A famous lane is the Metasequoia Lane where visitors can reenact the walk made by Bae Yong Jun and Choi Ji Woo, the Winter Sonata actors. The island also has various exhibition halls such as the UNICEF hall and the Winter Sonata Photo Gallery.

Wolmido Seagull cruise

More info on Korea

Wolmido Island: Seagulls Galore

Close to Incheon Airport is Wolmido Island. Visitors can take a short ferry ride from Yeongjong Pier to Wolmido. During the ride, we bought prawn crackers and threw it at the many seagulls which were flying about. They were really quick in grabbing the prawn crackers as seen in the video I took. As I was on Wolmido Island very early in the morning, many shops were still not open. But during my short stay there, it looked like it would be a very lively place in the evening as there were many seafood restaurants and cafes there.

Comments

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on October 22, 2010:

Yeah, I've heard of it. However, couldn't make it for this year's.

brnielsen44 from Orem, UT on October 21, 2010:

One great place to visit in Korea if you are there around August is the Daecheon (Boryeong) Mud Festival. YOu will have a blast.

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on September 17, 2010:

That sounds like a great idea. Hope your dream comes true =)

Scroll to Continue

from-old-to-gold-a-safe-guide-to-secondhand-shopping

why-ive-decided-to-become-a-dolphins-fan-if-the-lions-win-the-super-bowl-this-year

Prop-mgmt-course on September 17, 2010:

Great Place. Hope I will marry gf and take her Korean. She's korean and never been there.

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on August 21, 2010:

You're most welcome. Enjoy your trip!

Anne on August 17, 2010:

Thank you very much, Lilian!

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on August 15, 2010:

Hi Anne,

If I remember correctly:

Day 1: Wolmido Cruise + Everland + making kimchi

Day 2: Mt Sorak

Day 3: Nami Island + Chuncheon Myeongdong shopping + ice gallery at Seoul + shopping at Dongdaemun

Day 4: Skincare products Shopping, Gyeongbok Palace, Shopping at Myeongdong, War Memorial of Korea

Day 5: shopping+ fly to Jeju Island

Day 6: https://hubpages.com/travel/Jeju-Island-Korea-Tour...

Day 7: Fly back to Seoul, some shopping then back home.

Hope this helps. For more details on each part of the itinerary, you can refer to the individual Hubs listed in the Links sections above.

Anne on August 15, 2010:

Thanks, Lilian! Could you give me a simple itinerary of your trip to Korea (places you visited)? Thanks!

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on August 14, 2010:

Hi Anne! It is possible to walk around the island. I did that and spent about 2 hours there exploring about half the island. But if you want to explore the entire island, a bicycle would be a great idea! Some lovers choose to spend a nite on the island too. That would give you more quiet time as it can be pretty packed with people in the daytime!

Anne on August 14, 2010:

Hi Lilian! Is it possible to walk around Nami Island? Or do I need to travel by bus/cab/bicycle? How much time is needed to see Nami Island?

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on July 27, 2010:

Thanks for the compliment. The photos are all taken by me. I'm not a professional but I tried my best =)

Simply Jill on July 27, 2010:

South Korea looks like a beautiful place. I enjoyed the pictures as well, they really complimented the hub.

Thanks for sharing!

lilian_sg (author) from Singapore on July 16, 2010:

Thanks for reading and commenting!

H P Roychoudhury from Guwahati, India on July 16, 2010:

Yes, South Korea is beautiful in all respect. People are also intelligent and brave - the history says so.