Balwangsan Mountain, Location of Dramas Shooting Winter Sonata and Dokkaebi

If you feel exhausted in the busy city life, you will miss an unobstructed wide view. If you look down on the world under your feet in the midst of cool scenery and greenery, that would be a paradise. Balwangsan Mountain, which is said to be a mountain with the good spirit as birthplace of a king, offers such paradise.

Balwangsan Mountain as the 12th highest mountain in Korea is 1,458 m high above sea level and it is located in the central mountain range as a stem of the Taebaek Mountain Range. There are various plant species and colonies such as Mayumok and picea abies, where you can also see “Balwangsu” as water, which is full of natural minerals. The temperature of Balwangsu is maintained at 8℃, which is lower than the average temperature of underground water which is between 14 and 16℃. Therefore, it tastes really great when you drink it after trekking.

People often visit Balwangsan Mountain with the spirit of the nature to pray for health and longevity. Especially in winter, its snowy field wows. So, it is recommended to enjoy this spectacular view by visiting the place.

The Balwangsan Cable Car is the best way to view the beautiful scenery at a glance without climbing the mountain. When you take the Sightseeing Gondola at the Yongpyong Resort Dragon Plaza Ride Platform and move with a 7.4-kilometer long round-trip gondola for 18 minutes to reach the top of Balwangsan Mountain. It has 100 8-passenger cabins where you can listen to the music you want over Bluetooth. If you enjoy the magnificent scenery of nature while listening to the music you want, it would be romantic. In autumn, it becomes the best place to enjoy red maples. When you use a cable car through the KTX connected program or Pyeongchang City Tour, you can get a discount. With excellent stability and sense of speed, even the elderly and children can use the cable with a peace of mind. It operates even at night. So don’t miss the romantic experience of watching the sunset and starry night sky at the top of Balwangsan Mountain or in the cable car.

When you climb to the top of Balwangsan Mountain, you will see a wonderful Swiss-style cafe that was the location of shooting the drama “Winter Sonata”. When you drink hot tea looking around the scenery, you will feel as if you were the main character in a drama. When you move toward the observation deck, you can see the life-size models of actor Yong-Joon Bae and actress J-Woo Choi. From the observation deck, you can see Soksa, Gyebangsan, Odaesan and Woljeongsa Temple and it is recommended to take time to carefully explore the ridges and surrounding mountains.

Balwangsan Mountain is good for trekking in spring and autumn because the mountain has smooth sides without rough paths. In winter, the wind is strong and its snow build up is higher. You must carry climbing equipment. At the summit, there are light trails easy to walk. There are six different trekking courses, including a gentle gold trail, a silver trail where you can feel the nature while walking in a dense forest and a long-distance trail. You can feel the healing of your body and mind while walking in the natural forest with rare plants such as yew and Mayumok.

Another attraction of Balwangsan Mountain is the recently opened the “KI” skywalk. It is an attractive place where you can see the superb view of the Baekdudaegan at a glance and enjoy the sunrise and sunset in one place. When the weather is good, you can see the sea of Gangneung, and when you walk on the skywalk, you can feel as if you were walking on the clouds. As a specially designed structure, it is a bridge that can withstand even the 6.5 magnitude of the earthquakes and is strong enough to allow more than 100 adults on it. There are lifts and barrier-free trails for the disabled, the elderly and children. Everybody can enjoy a comfortable and pleasant trip.

Information on the place in Pyeongchang

99, Yongsan-ri, Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea
033-330-7423
www.yongpyong.co.kr

Operating hours 09:00 – 19:00 every day from August 31; Last downline 20:00
Operating hours 09:00 – 20:00 every day from August 24 to August 30 Last downline 21:00
Closed every Monday from August 31

<Use Information>

▶Total distance: Course A- Approx. 5.8 km / Course B – Approx. 9 km
▶Time required: Course A – Approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes / Course B – Approx. 5 hours
▶Difficulty: ★★★ (medium)
▶Detailed Course: Course A (5.8 km, approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes): Kkeunhinjeokgol – (3) Janggumok – (0.7) Top – (0.2) Janggumok – (0.6) Altitude of 1,437 m – Altitude of 1,253 m – (0.4) Altitude of 1,191 m – (1) Witgudeungol
▶Course B (9km, approx. 5 hours): Birch Hill Trail Entrance (Gold) – (0.7) Ranch Road Shelter – Mineral Spring – (1.2) Azalea Oreum Shelter – (0.8) Gold Ridge Shelter – (0.8) Intersection Shelter – (0.8) Dragon Peak – (0.5) Normal – (0.5) Dragon Peak – (0.8) Intersection Shelter – (1.2) Silver Ridge Shelter – (0.8) Observation Shelter – (0.9) Forest Bathing Path