Jeongseon Rail-Bikes

Jeongseon’s landscape is dressed in spring clothing. As soon as the blossoms of red plums, azaleas, and forsythias wither, Chinese milk vetches, pear trees, and apple trees follow them into bloom.

It is a busy season for picnickers as they climb hills and drive long distances in search of fresher scenery. If you have only a day, but still want to enjoy the breeze of spring with your families, lover or friends, Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province could be a great choice.

A rail-bike excursion-

On so-called rail-bikes, which are only in Jeongseon, you can experience the sensation of pedaling along the tracks. The railway extends 7.2 kilometers from Gujeolli Station to Auraji Station. When families pedal together, they look like they’re heading toward happiness.

Rail-bikes were invented for leisure purposes after Jeongseon Line trains, which usually transported coal and wood, ended operations. The bikes run down a gentle slope at a speed of 10 to 20 km/h. As there are other bikes on the tracks, all with good manual brakes, you won’t need to worry about safety. Two-seaters and four-seaters are available, and you can make reservations via the Internet. A full trip takes about an hour and a half, consisting of a 50-minute ride on a rail-bike and a ride back on a scenic train.

On the route is a fairly long tunnel, as well as a bridge under which the crystal clear Songcheon River flows. Red azaleas and yellow ginger blossoms around the railways catch people’s eyes. Away from bustling urban life, you will be surrounded by fresh green scenery and air on your rail-bike.

Five-day markets and “gondrebap” in Jeongseon-

The market in Jeongseon is open every five days, on dates that end with two and seven. You can feel the particular atmosphere of a Korean mountainous village, watching and smelling the chemical-free potherbs cultivated by old women. There is a full variety of wild garlic, shepherd’s purse, hwanggi, gomchwi, chamnamul, aralias, etc. The market is easy to find since it is located on Jungang-no (the central street) downtown. Take a seat in one of the stalls on the street and try local foods such as buckwheat curd, buckwheat noodles, potato pancakes, and tadpole-shaped noodles, together with a glass of corn makgeolli, a traditional kind of liquor.

In the local restaurants, gondrebap is a famous dish. It is a compound of ‘gondre,’ the name of a potherb found everywhere in Gangwon Province, and ‘bap,’ which means rice. The fragrant herb is cooked with rice in a stone pot. Mixed with flavored soy sauce and sesame oil, it is a savory and healthy dish.

*For more tourist information, visit the Website of Jeongseon County at http://www.jeongseon.go.kr or call 033-560-2361. You can also contact the KTX Tour and Leisure Corporation at http://www.railbike.co.kr or 033-563-8787.

harrison@donga.com