Chungcheongbuk-do Travel Guide

Situated in Yeongdong (Chungcheongbuk-do), Wine Korea is the only winery in Korea that maintains a vineyard and produces the wine brand, Chateau Mani.Beginning in November 2006, Wine Train run by Wine Korea offers a one-day train tour between Seoul and Yeongdong. Departing from Seoul Station, its passenger cars, themed Red/White Wine or Ginseng, boast an elegant café atmosphere. Above all, visitors can enjoy as much of the wine produced in Yeongdong as they want.Upon arriving at Yeongdong, visitors head to Wine Korea, enjoy foot massages in wine, participate in making natural cosmetics, and tour the wine production facilities. The tour goes on to visit Ginseng Exhibition Hall in Geumsan and Traditional Medicinal Herb Market. High quality wine, wellbeing grape juice, and Chateau Mani cosmetics are also available online for purchase. 

Sobaeksan Mountain (소백산) is renowned for its natural splendor and mystery, standing tall in the middle of the Korean peninsula, and offering several magnificent peaks, such as Hyeongjebong, Sinseonbong, Gukmangbong, Birobong, and Yeonhwabong. Its captivating seasonal beauty (royal azalea in spring, wildflowers in summer, autumn foliage in fall, and snowscape in winter) attracts visitors year round. The open grass field on Birobong Peak (비로봉; 1,439 m in elevation) is reminiscent of a scene from the Swiss Alps. The Sobaeksan Optical Astromony Observatory (SOAO) located upon Yeonhwabong Peak (1,349 m in elevation) is the historic cradle of Korean astronomy. The Sobaeksan Royal Azalea Festival is held near Danyang-gun in early June every year.

Cheongju National Museum collects and preserves national cultural treasures. The first thing to do when you enter the museum is to obtain various pamphlets at the information desk, from which you can get a lot of information on the museum. The Sangseol Exhibit is the most important place in the Cheongju National Museum. Here you will mainly see displays of artifacts discovered in and around the Chungcheongbuk-do area. In the first division of the exhibit, the Seonsa Room, you can see treasures from the Guseok Period, Sinseok Period, and Cheongdong Period. In the second division, the Samhan-Samguk Room, various artifacts from the houses and tombs of the Samhan and Samguk Periods are displayed. In the Unified Silla-Goryeo (918~1392) Room are displayed the clay pottery, metallic pottery, and gold artifacts used in daily life or related to Buddhism from the Silla and Goryeo Periods. In the fourth Joseon-Go Print Room, you can see the treasures discovered in Chungcheongbuk-do area from the Joseon Period (1392~1910), such as Buncheongsagi and Baekja ceramics. The most carefully decorated room in the Sangseol exhibit is the Children’s Exhibit. It was built to let children experience and learn the culture of Korea’s past. It is also a very helpful place for foreigners who do not know the folk culture of Korea. You can experience first-hand various traditional Korean sounds, such as Dadeumi sound. You can also see a traditional Korean wedding and funeral with all their associated customs in small miniature models. The funeral service shows “sangyeo”, which is not generally known to foreigners. Sangyeo was a device used to carry dead people to their graves. All the miniature models are very detailed and very charming. Besides these, you can try wooden mask printing and the Takbon, as well as tools used by people in the past in the Learning Room. You can try creating clay pottery here as well. 

Opened in July 2003, Aqua World within the Daemyung Resort Danyang is an indoor water park supplying clean heated water. With numerous hot springs and amusement facilities which are open year round, it is the perfect vacation spot for families, couples and friends.Aqua World has a unique Mediterranean-style interior design. The two main features of the Aqua World are the Aqua Health Pool Zone and Amusement Zone. The Aqua Health Pool Zone contains three main sections: the Neck Shower, where you can massage your neck, shoulders and legs by the pressure of running water and the Bench Zet where you can massage your waste and legs. In the Floating area you can massage all parts of your body by the pressure of water bubbles.Among the amusement facilities in the Amusement Zone, you can enjoy the Water Slide, a massage corner exclusively for women and even the Couple Bath for those wanting romance. Take advantage of the numerous therapeutic springs including sulfur spring, mineral water spring, pine-tree spring and fruit-extract spring.The Jade Sauna, Charcoal Sauna and Amethyst Sauna, each have its own health benefits. At the Open Air Bath, you will enjoy relaxing and admiring the scenic view of Danyang. Viitors may also stop by the nearby attractions surrounding the condo such as Chungjuho Lake, Woraksan National Park, Sobaeksan National Park and Mungyeongsaejae Provinicial Park.

Located to the west of Sobaeksan National Park and Guinsa Temple, Ondal Tourist Park spans a vast area of 97,011 square meters. The attractions and facilities in the park include an area for folk games, a sports town, inns, local restaurants, local product stores, picnic grounds, Ondalchon village, Ondalgwan museum, House of Legends, and a traditional wedding hall. Also located within the park are the 450 million-year-old Ondal Cave (760 meters), and Ondalsanseong Fortress, the place that holds the legendary love story between General Ondal and Princess Pyeonggang. The park’s highlight is the Ondal Open Film Set, a filming site of many popular Korean dramas. * Designated area: 97,011㎡ (29,245 pyeong)

Located in Cheongju, the home of the first metal printing type, Ramada Plaza Cheongju is the only premium, first-class hotel located in the central region of Korea. As the hotel is situated near the Cheongju International Airport in the geographic center of the country, it is a favorable spot for holding national conferences and other large gatherings.The 21-storey hotel takes up a total space of 17,851 m² and offers an astounding array of facilities in addition to its 328 plush guestrooms. It houses a fitness center, shopping center, discount store, 11-screen multiplex movie theater, and buffet-style Chinese and Japanese restaurants serving food befitting the hotel’s world-class reputation. There are six restaurants and bars in all, allowing guests plenty of comfortable and convenient options. From the sky lounge, guests can even enjoy a panoramic view of the city while they dine.

Opened in April 2014, Jungwon Duty Free is a representative duty free shop of Chungcheongbuk-do. It sells 120 international and domestic brands including bags, watches, cosmetics, alcoholic drinks and others. It is located on the first floor of Ramada Plaza Cheongju Hotel so it offers a one-stop shopping center where visitors can enjoy shopping, food, and culture in one location.

Jecheon Station is located 154.9km away from Cheongnyangni Station, the first station on the Jungang Railroad. The station is built at a key junction, passing through Taebaek and Yeongdong Lines to the east, passing such cities as Yeongwoel, Sabuk, Hwangji and going all the way to Bukpyeong. To the southwest, it connects to the Chungbuk Line, which stretches 110km in length, passing through Eumseong, Chungju, Cheongju and Jochiwon. Famous tourist attractions within 4km of the station include Uirimji and Hanbyeokru.

This early printing museum, located on the site of Heungdeoksa Temple in which Jikji, the world's oldest extant book, printed by movable metal type, was printed, was founded on March 17, 1992. Since the technology’s inception, Korea has substantially developed its metal-type printing methods. In this museum, approximately 650 artifacts including ancient movable metal and wooden print books from the Goryeo and Joseon periods, relics from the Heungdeoksaji Temple site (흥덕사지) and printing tools are on display. Here, visitors can learn about the history of the Korean printing technologies and culture.In addition to exhibition, the museum has been promoted to hold the Cheongju International Printing & Publishing Fair, to study early printing culture and printing types and to publish museum journals and early printing-related papers.

About hundred years ago, the "Cheongju Eupseong Fortress" existed in the middle what is today's Cheongju-si. The fortress had two main gates connecting its northern and southern points, as well as a main avenue crossing the village formed inside the fortress. The name for this avenue, called Seongan-gil (literally 'road inside the fortress'), makes a clear statement as to the role it has served in the city throughout the decades.Geographically located in the heart of the city, the place still serves as the central commercial area of Cheongju, drawing in crowds of both young people and older residents. Being the top tourist attraction in the region, the city government designated the area as a 'car free street,' making it a pedestrian-friendly place for shopping and meandering. Only registered and shipping vehicles can enter the area, but only in the morning until noon. After that time, all vehicular access is prohibited.With its popular attractions, such as the Rodeo shopping district, the iron flagpole of Yongdusa Temple Site, as well as other major department stores, movie theaters, and recreational parks, Seongan-gil is a favorite gathering place for residents of Cheongju.