Gangneung's South Coast & Mountains — Cliff Walks, Ancient Forests, and a Cabbage Field Above the Clouds

Waves crash against the cliffs below your feet, and on a mountaintop, cabbage fields stretch to the horizon — this is Gangneung's south coast and highlands.

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At a Glance

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Jeongdong Simgok Badabuchae Trail: 2.86 km on the Edge

A cruise ship-shaped resort stands on the coastal cliffs of Jeongdongjin. Below it, the Badabuchae Trail begins.

This isn't just a walking path. It's Korea's only coastal terrace trail — a geological record of tectonic shifts from roughly 2.5 million years ago. Designated Natural Monument No. 437. You're literally looking at how the East Sea was formed.

The trail runs 2.86 km. On one side, waves explode into white spray. On the other, pine trees shoot up toward the sky. The crash of ocean against rock, the rustle of leaves in the wind — keep walking and those sounds are all that's left. Your mind empties out.

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Hourglass Park & Time Museum

After the Badabuchae Trail, you'll reach Hourglass Park. Jeongdongjin is famous as the filming location for the drama Hourglass — this park was built in 1999 to mark the new millennium.

There's a world-record hourglass that runs on a one-year cycle. Every New Year's sunrise, it gets flipped. Next door is the Time Museum — a clock collection spanning the 19th century to today. One section is inside a converted steam locomotive. You walk through the train cars, following the flow of time.

The park has sundials, red phone booths, and a beachside boardwalk — all great photo spots. In everyday life, time just slips by. Here, you can see it. You can feel its weight.

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Haslla Art World: A Gallery on the Hilltop Above the Sea

Up the hill from Jeongdongjin sits Haslla Art World. Haslla is Gangneung's ancient name from the Goguryeo dynasty.

Sculptures stand against the ocean backdrop. Installation art hides around every corner. There are windows that frame the sea like a painting, a Pinocchio museum, and a cafe overlooking the water. The museum, hotel, and restaurant are all connected like one continuous artwork. Just walking and sitting here opens up your senses.

The complex is divided into three zones: indoor galleries, five exhibition halls, and the sculpture park. The indoor spaces have immersive, interactive exhibits. Plenty of photo spots — so manage your battery. A lot of visitors skip the sculpture park at the end of the route, but that's actually the real highlight. Sculptures standing between the sea and pine trees. Even hitting just the main pieces takes 30 minutes.

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Daegwallyeong Old Road: The Path Shin Saimdang Walked

This old road connects Gangneung and Pyeongchang. During the Joseon dynasty, it was a vital route between the eastern and western regions of the Taebaek Mountains. Legend says Shin Saimdang walked this path holding young Yulgok's hand, longing for her mother back in Gangneung.

Today it's a lush forest trail. Light falls through the canopy, and fallen leaves pile up underfoot. Walk slowly and you start imagining what travelers centuries ago saw on this very path. The Daegwallyeong Museum is nearby too.

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Daegwallyeong Natural Recreation Forest: Korea's First

Head a little further up from the Old Road and you'll reach Korea's first natural recreation forest, opened in 1988. It's a mix of pine and birch. You can do anything from a short walk to an overnight stay in a forest cabin.

Water murmurs along the valley. The pine-needle paths feel soft under your feet. The air is different here — the scent of pine hits you sharp and clean. There are traditional thatched houses, old-style forest kilns, and a woodcraft workshop. It's a great spot if you're traveling with kids.

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Solhyang Arboretum: Hard to Believe It's Free

The name means "pine fragrance" — and it delivers. Opened in 2013, this pine-themed arboretum is run directly by Gangneung city. The first of its kind in Korea.

About 790,000 m² of old-growth Geumgang pine forest and over 1,100 plant species. Free admission — at this scale, that's honestly wild. The scenery shifts with every season.

Follow the trekking trails for a forest bath. Sit in traditional pavilions and healing gardens and just let the breeze do its thing. The phytoncide is intense — take a deep breath and you can feel your lungs clearing out.

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Anbandegi: A Cabbage Field Above the Clouds

Altitude: roughly 1,100 m. The closest village to the sky in Gangneung. After the Korean War, displaced slash-and-burn farmers gathered here and built a settlement from nothing.

The name Anbandegi comes from anban — the wide wooden board used for pounding rice cakes — and degi, a local Gangneung dialect word for flat land. Today, this place produces about half of Korea's entire highland cabbage crop. The fields roll along the ridgeline as far as you can see.

When you arrive — the temperature drops noticeably. It's cool even in summer. Wind sweeps through the cabbage rows, and sometimes the clouds sit below your feet. It's also one of the country's best spots for photographing the Milky Way — photographers come from all over Korea. Next time, I want to come at night.

There's a parking lot and restrooms. One cafe sits in the center of the village — you can see the landscape from inside, and the walls tell the village's history. There are beanbags on the rooftop. Drinks ₩4,500–6,000, plus ice cream.

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Nochusan Mojeong Tower Trail: 3,000 Stone Towers Built Over 25 Years

The final stop. Nochusan is a 1,322 m mountain on the border between Gangneung and Jeongseon. Along one side of the mountain path, you'll find the Mojeong Tower Trail.

Over 3,000 stone towers pack a trail just over 1 km long. The short ones near the entrance — those were stacked by visitors. But go deeper and you'll see towers as tall as a person, standing in rows. It's hard to believe one person built all of this.

Her name was Cha Sun-ok. From 1986 to 2011 — 25 years — she stacked these towers alone. She had lost two sons and her husband, and she built each tower praying for her family's peace. She never stopped until she passed away in 2011. Mojeong (母情) means "a mother's heart."

Walking between the towers, it's quiet. Just the wind and the faint click of stones touching. If you end your Gangneung trip here — it stays with you.

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Practical Notes

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