Jeongseon travel info

Jeongseon sits in a deep valley in the middle of the Taebaek Mountains. The town lies in a basin looped by the Dong River, and ridgelines hang behind every photo you take. It used to dig coal; now the shut mines and abandoned rail lines are the draw. You can pedal a rail bike along 7.2 km of old track from Gujeol Station to Auraji Station, and a glass-floored lookout juts off the cliff at Byeongbangchi.

The Jeongseon Arirang Market holds its big market on days ending in 2 and 7. On those days, the smell of buckwheat pancakes drifts between herb stalls and piles of mountain greens, and in the food alley people order gondre rice and kotdeungchigi noodles together. Rice was scarce up here, so buckwheat, corn, potatoes and wild greens filled the table. The folk songs came from the same place: Jeongseon Arirang gets a stage again at the Arirang festival each early October.

Getting here takes a while. The bus from Dong Seoul Terminal runs close to three hours, and trains mean a change at Jecheon. In return, it's quiet when you arrive. The town centre is walkable, but Byeongbangchi, Auraji and Hwaam Cave are spread out, so plan for a taxi or a car.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Wonju and nearby cities (WJU)

By train (TRN)