Chungju Hwalok Cave (충주 활옥동굴) - Area information - Korea travel information

Chungju Hwalok Cave (충주 활옥동굴)

Chungju Hwalok Cave (충주 활옥동굴)

18.1Km    2025-03-16

26 Mokbeoran-gil, Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do

Developed in 1922 during the Japanese Forced Occupation, this is the only talc mine in Korea and is the largest in the East, with a recorded length of 57km, an unofficial length of 87km, and an underground vertical x_height of 711m. A 2.5km-long stretch of the cave has been developed into a tourist site, filled with light sculptures, performance venues, and health therapy zones. LED, neon, and a variety of natural lights create a mysterious atmosphere, and since the temperature stays between 11 and 15 degrees year-round, it's even more popular in summer. There is also a kayaking experience that allows visitors to see inside the cave by kayaking in a lake created by mineral water.
Note that the temperature inside the cave averages between 11 and 15 degrees Celsius, which is warm in the winter but cold in the summer, so you'll want to bring a long-sleeved jacket.

Danyanggang Jando Trail (단양강 잔도)

Danyanggang Jando Trail (단양강 잔도)

18.2Km    2022-12-29

San 18-15, Aegok-ri, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-43-422-1146

Danyanggang Jando Trail is a 1.2-kilometer-long trekking path along the Namhangang River. With an amazing view of the surrounding area, the trail is a must-walk when visiting Danyang. There are various attractions nearby, including Mancheonha Skywalk and Suyanggae Light Tunnel, offering a tour experience that covers geology and history.

Gyemyeongsan Recreational Forest (계명산자연휴양림)

Gyemyeongsan Recreational Forest (계명산자연휴양림)

18.2Km    2022-09-07

1170, Chungjuhosu-ro, Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-43-870-7930

Gyemyeongsan Recreational Forest is located on Gyemyeongsan Mountain, part of the Sobaeksan Mountain Range, and has outstanding views of Chungjugho Lake. Although the park is small in size, the recreational forest provides a peaceful and relaxing getaway with lush pine tree forest along with diverse animals and plants. The trees are great for forest bathing, and are beautiful in autumn when the leaves turn crimson. <BR>
Nearby attractions include Suanbo Hot Springs, Songnisan Mountain, Eight Sights of Danyang, and Chungjuho Lake. The park also has log cabins, providing a unique type of accommodation.

Songpungjae (송풍재)

Songpungjae (송풍재)

18.3Km    2024-02-22

65 Saetgangyeong-gil, Sancheok-myeon, Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do

Songpungjae is a bean curd specialty restaurant located in Chungju. Housed in a hanok building, it offers an ambiance that reflects the beauty of Korea. Bean curd, made from soybeans, is the main ingredient here, with the unique feature of being cultivated directly on-site. Their signature dish is sondubu jeongol (handmade bean curd hot pot), while their jjageuri (pork stew), and ori cheolpan gui (stir-fried duck on hot iron plate) are also popular choices. It takes about 20 minutes by car from Tangeumdae Overlook of Chungju to reach the restaurant.

Jecheon Baengnyeonsa Temple (백련사(제천))

18.4Km    2021-10-25

414, Myeongam-ro 5-gil, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
+83-43-653-4996

Baengnyeonsa Temple is located at the foothills of Gamaksan Mountain in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do. The temple is currently composed of the main hall Daeungjeon, Samseonggak Shrine, Muyeomdang Hall, Boeungmun Gate, and residential houses. Daeungjeon Hall enshrines a wooden statue of a sitting Buddha, is an artifact from the Joseon period (1392-1910).

The history of the temple dates back to 662 (the second year of King Munmu’s reign during the Silla Kingdom), when a small shrine called Baengnyeonam Hermitage was built by the great monk Uisang on the east side of Baengyeonji Site. The temple has been reconstructed and restored numerous times throughout the course of several wars. The temple once encompassed many branch temples and shrines such as Mireuksa, Sinheungsa, Cheonsuam, Eunjeokam, and Cheongnyeonam, but only their foundation sites remain today.

Danyang Hotel (단양관광호텔)

Danyang Hotel (단양관광호텔)

18.6Km    2020-04-11

31, Sambong-ro, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-43-423-7070

Danyang Hotel is one of the top hotels in the city of Danyang, a city in the central region of Korea, and easily accessible from most major cities in just two to three hours via the Jungang Expressway.

Visitors to the hotel can get a panoramic view of the beautiful Namhangang River from any of the 80 guestrooms, and can enjoy various sports like rafting or paragliding. The hotel is within traveling distance from all of the Danyang Palgyeong (the Eight Scenic Sites of Danyang) and is located near Sobaeksan Mountain.

Suyanggae Prehistory Museum (수양개선사유물전시관)

Suyanggae Prehistory Museum (수양개선사유물전시관)

18.7Km    2023-04-13

390, Suyanggaeyujeok-ro, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-43-423-8502

Suyanggae Prehistory Museum boasts itself as the largest prehistoric site in Korea. The museum contains a multitude of remains, especially stone toolkits, of the late Stone Age and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The stone toolkits were discovered by a museum of Chungbuk National University while the team was on the project to excavate historical remains around the site that were submerged due to the construction of Chungju Dam. The museum provides detailed explanations and maps marked for the prehistorical sites in Danyang. Visitors can learn the life and wisdom of Paleolithic man in the museum.

Suyanggae Light Tunnel (단양 수양개빛터널)

18.7Km    2022-04-06

390, Suyanggaeyujeok-ro, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-3-421-5453

Built during the Japanese occupation, Suyanggae Tunnel has a length of 200 meters and x_width of 5 meters. The tunnel was neglected for many year until recent rennovation into a light tunnel. The light tunnel consist of updated videos, sound system and LED media facade, drawing visitors both locally and internationally.

Danyang Jeokseong Fortress (단양 적성)

Danyang Jeokseong Fortress (단양 적성)

19.1Km    2023-04-12

San3-1, Habang-ri, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-43-422-1146

Danyang Jeokseong Fortress is a fortress made of stones gathered from Seongjaesan Mountain in Danyang. The fortress was built surrounding the mountain's southern slope and summit.

The fortress had a circumference of 923 meters, but most of it has been destroyed; the only remaining section is a 3-meter part of the inner wall in the northeast quarter. Three gates were found in the southwest, east, and southeast areas. Inside of the fortress is a stone stele.

Danyang Jeokseongbi Monument of Silla (단양 신라 적성비)

Danyang Jeokseongbi Monument of Silla (단양 신라 적성비)

19.2Km    2021-05-14

Habang 3-gil, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
+82-43-422-1146

The Danyang Jeokseongbi Monument of Silla was erected by King Jinheung, the 24th King of Silla Kingdom, as a public announcement board. It was found at Jeokseongsanseong Fortress in Danyang in 1978.

The stone stele is broken into three parts: the two lower pieces are inscribed with 280 letters, which spell out the names of people, locations and positions from the Silla Kingdom period, whereas, the top piece has 100 letters which are mostly destroyed. The discovery of the monument helped illuminate political development and statuses of the time.