[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Meet your summer travel needs at these destinations

K-campus

Published: 02 Jun. 2023, 09:25 Updated: 02 Aug. 2023, 15:05

[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Meet your summer travel needs at these destinations

Dpirang displays digital media light attractions of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

June is the month to get on your feet and start exploring different regions of Korea. Luckily for you, the Korea Tourism Organization has rolled out a summary of various travel-related programs and discounts this month through a website to support the travel industry and provide tourists with information.

In fact, the organization has teamed up with Korea Railroad Corporation to introduce multiple tour packages for this month featuring various regions of Korea with different themes. Now is the time to take advantage of these resources, so check out their website and scroll through the ambitiously curated travel destinations.

Here are four recommendations we selected from the website.

Heyri Art Village

Heyri Art Village, Paju, Gyeonggi, is home to many artists and their studios and an artistic tourist attraction. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Heyri Art Village, Paju, Gyeonggi, holds many hidden treasures for visitors who need help deciding among many tourist attractions that are not too crowded. Once home to many artists in the 2000s, this art village now attracts people keen for a day out at an entertaining place not too far away from the metropolitan area. Stretched across 122 acres of land, the village boasts multiple sightseeing spots, including galleries, museums, cafes and artists' studios.

If you are into music, you may want to stop by Camerata, a music cafe near Gate Seven. Its official name is Hwang In-yong Music Space Camerata, which was named after the establisher and the radio DJ active through the 70s and the 80s. This cultural space was intended to express his love for music. The entire space is decorated to give off analog vibes, with vintage audio systems in operation and old books lined up on the wooden bookshelves. You can expect a soulfully fulfilling day in this artistic village.

@heyriart
Heyrimaeul-gil Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi
Website: https://www.heyri.net/

Danyang Paragliding

Danyang, North Chungcheong, is one of the best places to go paragliding in Korea. [YONHAP]

Deciding where to go can be challenging, and it's easy to find yourself leaning toward the already popular destinations that pop up on social media platforms all the time. However, you just need to scroll a bit more to find hidden gems.

If you are such a person and also enjoy extreme sports, consider heading to Danyang County, North Chungcheong. You will land on the best spot for paragliding, at the observatory on Mount Yangbang, standing 664 meters (2178 feet) above sea level. You can also request a pick-up service from the Danyang Station or the county's bus terminal through an online reservation system.

During the seven to 10 minutes of being off the ground, you can take in the view of the country that will likely make your fear of heights dissolve into amusement. You can also film the footage of your flight to capture the memory permanently for an additional payment of 20,000 won ($15).

In addition to paragliding, you can enjoy other sports activities in Danyang, from biking, ATV to rafting.

Danyang Dream Leisure Paragliding
59-1 Subyeon-ro Danyang-eup, Danyang, North Chungcheong
Price: From 120,000 won up to 200,000 won depending on the program
Phone number: 010-8989-6080, 010-9912-2633
Website: http://www.dreampara.co.kr/

Sanmeoru Winery

Sanmeoru Winery, Paju, Gyeonggi, produces rich meoru wine as a specialty of the Gaekhyeon Village. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

If you are in for a trip that involves stimulating your taste buds, Sanmeoru Winery is one of the destinations you could head to in Paju, Gyeonggi. Meoru, wild grapes in Korean, is a specialty of the Gaekhyeon village since the daily temperature difference is huge and therefore provides a great environment for the wild grapes to turn extra sweet. Sanmeoru Winery offers diverse programs, from tasting its wines to making meoru soap. A winery tour is included in all programs. The tour is aimed at promoting the authentic and traditional alcoholic drinks of Korea and making them more approachable for visitors, especially foreign tourists.

If you decide to visit, take advantage of the winery's wine-tasting program, photogenic spots and tunnel built for aging wine.

67-1 Gaekhyeon-ri, Jeokseong-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi
Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone number: 031-958-4558
Website: http://sanmeoru.com/index.html

Tongyeong Dpirang

Dpirang, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, acts as a major attraction to tourists at nighttime. [DPIRANG]

Heading down to Tongyeong, South Gyeonsang, the sea and the seafood are not the only attractions you could expect from this seaside area. Tongyeong is home to Dongpirang and Seopirang Villages, where the walls are decorated with paintings and drawings of life at sea. The cozy neighborhood is now a tourist spot that functions as a nice walkway as well as a colorful photo zone.

To add to the cultural experience, visitors end their journey at Tongyeong by stopping by Dpirang, a digital theme park that is inspired by the two mural villages. The park opens at night and offers amusing views to its visitors with colorful lighting projected onto walls.

@tong0dpirang
29 Nammanggongwon-gil, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang
Phone number: 1544-3303
Hours: Summer season (May to August), 8 p.m. to midnight, Spring and Autumn seasons (April, March, September), 7:30 p.m. to midnight, Winter season (October to February), 7 p.m. to midnight (Closed every Monday)
Admission fee: 15,000 won for adults, 12,000 won those aged 13 to 18, 10,000 won those under 13, free for those under 6
Website: http://dpirang.com/

BY BAEK JONG-HYUN, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]