With the warm weather approaching, many people are heading outdoors to experience nature, whether that’s just walking around the neighborhood or hiking nearby mountains. There are many opportunities to see the beauty of nature in Korea, as 70% of the land is made up of mountains! As you drive through Korea, you may notice that there are quite a lot of tunnels that pass under mountains to preserve mountains when building roads. 

The first mountain I want to introduce to you is Seorak Mountain. It is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range, and it’s known to be quite a rocky hike. Many of the trails are short enough to be completed within a few hours, but it may take longer for those who tend to need more time walking (i.e., children and the elderly). As a Buddhist family, we often visited the Buddhist temples in the park. They are a great stop if you want a sip of the natural spring water flowing from the mountains (it is free!). It’s considered to be fairly safe and is a very popular spot for hikers. I think it’s really impressive how clean the waters are, as they always look crystal clear and taste so fresh. 

When the weather is too hot (or if you’re just too tired to hike up the mountain), there is a cable car that will take you from the base of the mountain to the top! I tend to be afraid of the heights, so I am a little cautious to get on it, but it is regularly inspected for safety. As you go up in the cable car, you will get a magnificent glimpse of the mountain range that spans hundreds of miles in all directions. There are trails you can start on at the top of the mountain rather than starting at the bottom, which is a really nice option for people who can’t walk as much. Now, they’ve built a snack-bar at the cable car station up top. You can get a soft-serve cone or other crispy snacks to fulfill your cravings after a hike. 

Another mountain I want to highlight is Namsan (or literally translated, “Mountain of the South”). This mountain is not particularly famous for its hike, but rather what decorates its peak. Like before, you have the option to climb up the mountain or take a cable car. Just like the Eiffel tower in Paris, it is known to be a place where people hang locks on to the railings for long-lasting love or friendship. I must say, it is a really beautiful sight with the railings decorated with colorful locks! There’s an additional tower tourists can go into (for a price, of course) to see the entirety of Seoul. On the windows, each region of Seoul is labeled, which allows kids to point and say “That’s my home!” This pretty place is featured in a lot of dramas and movies as the highlight of a romantic date that the lead couple goes on, attracting many visitors. 

Aside from mountains, Korea also has parks that show off so many beautiful flowers and plants. One I really like is called Semiwon, and it is known for the abundance of lotus flowers and leaves in the park. When you enter the park, it doesn’t seem too special, with rocks decorating a stream of water. However, once you take the path marked by the stepping stones, there is a field of lotus leaves! It’s really a pond filled with lotus leaves and lotus flowers! A part of the park is just stepping stones and bridges that will let you pass through the dense mini-forest of lotus leaves and it is a great photo spot. There are also greenhouses that have a variety of other plants in the area, though I don’t quite remember what they were. 

It may seem like Korea is a really technologically developed country with high capacity metropolitan cities, but there is still so much room for nature! 

Image Sources

https://roamscapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/OSeAm-Temple-Seoraksan-1200×560.jpg

https://i1.wp.com/c3.staticflickr.com/9/8612/28926853930_a894c8e21d_b.jpg?resize=1080%2C608&ssl=1

https://www.befreetour.com/img/produk/Namsan-Seoul-Tower-Ticket-Combos-korea/Namsan-Seoul-Tower-Ticket-Combos-korea_17d8bcac3e4f62e308a3bc12b8078d809ed79934.jpg

https://www.korea.net/upload/content/image/1562304216482.jpg