A 2-day trip to Gangneung♪
chika
2 years ago
Thinking of taking a 2-day, 1-night trip from Seoul to the countryside in February, I decided on 'Gangneung (강릉)' as the destination 👍
I visited Gangneung for the first time 😊
The first thing to do is book round-trip KTX tickets and accommodations!
From Seoul to Gangneung, you can also use a high-speed bus, but the price difference with KTX was not that big, so I chose KTX, which has a shorter travel time 🚄
KTX is affordable, costing less than 3,000 yen for a one-way trip to Gangneung, so this trip I purchased a round-trip ticket🙂 If you want to travel to multiple regions in a short period of time, they also sell unlimited ride tickets for foreign tourists, which is recommended♪
I thought there wouldn't be much snow this winter, but it started snowing the day before the trip 💦
Even though it was snowing a little in Seoul, I set off on a trip to Gangneung with some anxiety!
Ride the KTX at Seoryang-ri Station🙂
Around 5 am, Seiryouri Station was quiet with few passengers, and the stores were still closed.
If you go outside the station, there is also a convenience store, but it was cold so I bought a warm drink at the vending machine inside the station 😊. The price has gone up a bit compared to before, but it's still 500 won per cup (about 55 yen), and it's helpful because you can use up the coins you accumulated during your trip 😁.
In South Korea, many people prefer to pay with cards rather than cash, so ticket vending machines are this slim 😯
It seems that there are three types of vehicles on the KTX, and I rode the KTX-Eum (KTX-이음) for the first time ✨
It's been about 10 years since I rode the KTX 😅
There is also a charger for the smartphone, and when you fold the seat, the seating surface moves forward, so it was comfortable to spend time without bothering the person behind me 😊
It only takes about an hour and a half to arrive from Seirō Station, so it's a breeze👍
At Gangneung Station, there was a lounge exclusively for military personnel😯 Across from that, there is a tourist information center, so if you need a map or information, it will be helpful😉
There was a mascot character from the PyeongChang Olympics held a few years ago 😊
Heading to the first destination from the bus stop nearby 🚌
Gangwon-do is known for receiving more snow than Seoul, but it was truly a winter wonderland beyond my imagination 😱 I wore sneakers so... my pre-trip anxiety turned out to be true, and I ended up sightseeing all day with wet shoes 😂 When traveling in winter, please be careful everyone...
I'm used to Seoul buses, so I'm okay even if the driving is rough, but the buses in Gangneung are fast on snowy roads and have short following distances, so I was on edge the whole time I was on board 💦
Ride the number 300 bus for about 1 hour 🚌
Arrived at the first destination, the filming location of Goblin ✨ It's one of the famous scenes from the drama, right? 😊
However, it is dangerous so you cannot enter inside, and it has become a place where you can only view from the outside 💦 The waves were certainly rough 😥
I should have thoroughly researched beforehand and reflected on it...
Let's regroup and head to the next destination!
There should have been a bus stop heading towards Lake Kiraura near the filming location, but it had also moved to a slightly different location 💦
City bus is a microbus, so you can see multiple seaside bathing beaches 🙂 It's still midwinter, so there are no people at all 😅
It takes about 20 minutes to arrive at Gyeongpo Lake (경포호)!
Lake connected to the sea 😊 It seems like it was even bigger in the past 😯
From here, transfer to bus 202-1 and you can visit various tourist destinations👍
On this day, since the timing of the transfer did not match, we decided to walk to move 🐾 As expected, there were few people walking in winter, and the sidewalk was still covered with snow 💦 While stepping on the snow, we walked along the lake 😂
The second destination, 'Gyeongpodae (경포대)', is located along Gyeongpo Lake, where you can enjoy a view of the lake from a slightly elevated area. Admission is free.😉
The person in charge was shoveling snow for us ✨ But let's not let our guard down! We will proceed slowly on both the outbound and return trips 💦
When I took off my shoes to go inside, my socks were completely wet, so I decided to enjoy the view from outside 😅 It's a historical site from the Joseon Dynasty, so we must take good care of it 😤
This is a recommended time to visit during cherry blossom season😉
I took a short break while enjoying the scenery, so I decided to move on to the next destination.
If you take the 202-1 bus, you will arrive in 5 minutes, but thinking it would be better to walk than wait for the bus in the cold, I ended up walking to my destination again 😅
The third destination, which took about 30 minutes to walk to, is 'Gangneung Seonkyo Jang (강릉선교장)'!
Noble residences of the Joseon Dynasty (Yangban) ✨ Approximately 30,000 pyeong in size 😮
Drama 'Fan Jini' and 'The Palace', 'Serenity of the Color' filming locations♪
Admission fee is 5,000 won for adults (about 550 yen).
I think snow looks really good on hanok houses, but when it piles up this much, it doesn't look very photogenic, does it...😅
There is a pond right near the entrance, and it seems to be very beautiful when lotus flowers bloom ✨ I only feel like I came at the wrong time... 😣
One of the buildings has a roof that is different from the others, and it turns out that this was a gift from Russia in the late Joseon period 🙂 The top of the roof was not visible due to snow, but I noticed that it was different from the others 😁
Actually, here at Funabashi-so, you can also stay overnight and experience hanbok and craft making!✨
This time we stayed at a hotel near Gangneung Station, but I would love to stay there someday 😊
I arrived at Gangneung and spent a lot of time outside, walked a lot, so I took a break at the cafe inside the facility ☕
I was able to spend a relaxing time while looking at the Korean traditional houses 😊
Building that has been around for over 250 years ... Although it has been restored, it is impressive how well it has been preserved, making me realize the economic power of Yanban 🤭 The current owner is the 15th generation and seems to be a university professor♪(Information posted in the museum on the premises)
Heading to the fourth destination of the Gurye trip 🐾 Giving up on taking the 202-1 bus again and moving on foot 😂
Because it's on foot, there is also the advantage of being able to enjoy the scenery slowly while taking pictures ✨
After about 20 minutes of walking, you will arrive at 'Ujukheon.'
Here is a popular tourist destination in Gangneung! There were also a lot of tourists 👍
Portrait on Korean banknotes, the parent and child of the 50,000₩ and 5,000₩ bills ✨
Here is the location for the drama 'Shinrin-do, Iro no Nikki'♪
Entrance fee, 3,000 won (about $3.30) paid immediately, and into the middle 🐾
The person depicted on the 5,000 won bill is 'Yi I' and he is the son 😊 of 'Yi Hwang', a very famous Confucian scholar and politician.
Kuritani Rie was born in this Dream Dragon Room!
This building is also printed on the 5,000 won bill🙂 And, along with the bamboo, there are many black bamboo trees growing around the mansion🤭 It seems that this is the origin of the name 'Uchikuken'😉
Actual inkstones used by Rie Kuritani are also on display👍
Here is 'Shin Saimdang,' who is depicted on the 50,000 won bill, the mother of Yi I, a.k.a. Yi Yul-gok!
申師任堂 is an artist and is respected for raising his son well 😊
Inside the facility, you can actually see the works of the Shinshi Nindō and Kuritani Ri'e parent and child at the 'Kuritani Memorial Hall'!👍
After spending a fulfilling time, I started to get hungry so I decided to have a late lunch 😁
Travel by bus, arrived at a buffet restaurant 😋
Jiangling is close to the sea, so I wanted to eat seafood and chose a buffet restaurant with sushi 😁
A wide variety of options, and satisfying even down to dessert!
After eating, take a stroll at the nearby 'Chuo Castle South Traditional Market' 🐾
In a large market, there were shops with long lines, and it was lively! I wanted to eat Tteokbokki... but I was too full to do so 😅
On the street next to the market, discover something interesting ✨
It's like an ema, but we wrote our wishes on a wooden board in the shape of a fish and kept it as a memento ♪
May your wishes come true 💫
After that, we went shopping at a nearby large mart and headed to the hotel 🐾
The next day, we relaxed until the last minute of check-out and headed to Gangneung Station🐾
Apple vending machine inside the train station 🤭
Bought juice as a souvenir ♪ Two different packages 🤭
Bought coffee bread at the souvenir shop♪
On the way back, I also took the KTX train and returned to Seorongli Station🙂
Seoul had almost no snow left😁
First trip to Gangneung! It was a challenging 1 night 2 days trip in the snow, but it was really fun♪ Next time I go, I will go in spring or summer...🤭
