Namwon & Jirisan

At the foot of Jirisan, Korea's first national park — Gwanghallu, home of the Tale of Chunhyang, the thousand-year-old Hwaeomsa Temple and valleys ablaze with autumn color.

Namwon & Jirisan lies in southwestern South Korea, with Namwon City in North Jeolla Province as a base, covering the northern and southwestern foothills of Jirisan National Park. Designated Korea's very first national park in 1967, Jirisan spans North Jeolla, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces; its highest peak, Cheonwangbong (1,915 m), is the tallest on the Korean mainland. Namwon is the setting of the classic Tale of Chunhyang: Gwanghallu Garden and Chunhyang Theme Park face each other across the Yocheon Stream, and the Chunhyang Festival is held every May.

The area divides into three parts. First, central Namwon: Gwanghallu Garden and Chunhyang Theme Park take half a day, and Gwanghallu is lit up at night. Second, the northern mountain area (Sannae-myeon and Unbong-eup in Namwon): walk Baemsagol Valley, drive up to Jeongnyeongchi pass for views of the main ridge, climb Baraebong in May for seas of azaleas, and stop at Silsangsa, a temple built on flat ground. Third, the southern side (Gurye and Hadong): Hwaeomsa's Gakhwangjeon Hall, the cliffside hermitage of Saseongam, the historic Unjoru house, the sansuyu (cornelian cherry) villages in March, plus Ssanggyesa Temple in Hadong, Hwagae Market with its Simni Cherry Blossom Road, and the Choe Champan House, a filming location for the novel adaptation Toji (The Land). Hikes to Nogodan usually start from the Seongsamjae parking lot and take about 3–4 hours round trip; summiting Cheonwangbong generally starts from Jungsan-ri in Sancheong and takes 8–9 hours as a day hike.

Spring and autumn are the best seasons: sansuyu blossoms in mid-March, cherry blossoms in Hwagae in early April and azaleas on Baraebong in mid-May, with autumn color at its peak in Piagol and Baemsagol from late October to early November. Summer valleys offer a cool escape, while in winter mountain roads are snowbound and the Seongsamjae and Jeongnyeongchi roads may close. Getting there: the KTX/ITX from Seoul's Yongsan Station reaches Namwon Station in about 2–3 hours, or take an express bus. Buses in the mountains are infrequent, so driving or hiring a car is strongly recommended. Allow 2–3 days; keen hikers can do a ridge traverse with overnight stays in mountain shelters (reservations required on the Korea National Park Service website).

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