Photo: Provence Village
In just an hour's drive from Seoul to the northwest
lies the city of Paju, which is home to this beautiful
culture town, a place packed with artistic and creative restaurants,
dozens of coffee shops, and stylish stores attracting visitors of all
ages. The area is often dubbed "The Village" due to the unique
environment that almost resembles the area of Provence, France, and has
therefore been highly appreciated by Korean film directors. TV dramas
including The Master's Sun (2013), My Love from the Star (2013), Sensory Couple (2015) and featured scenes were shot here.
Returning to your childhood memories
Heyri Art Valley
The town of Heyri was established by Korean artists
of various specialties, such as writers, painters, actors, architects,
and musicians. Visitors can find exhibition halls and museums housing
traditional Korean jewels, Bohemian sculptures, and musical instruments,
all collected and gathered under one theme. It makes Heyri Village into
a uniquely themed village, with fascinating items for people of all
backgrounds.
In addition to permanent exhibitions, the village
also holds many experiential programs where visitors can discover their
own artistic talents with a little help from experts. What's more
special is that people can take the finished goods as a
souvenir, which would be the only one existing in this entire world.
All workshops at Heyri Art Valley encourage people to be expressive, welcoming visitors all year round. However, do note that the
majority of shops will stay closed on Mondays.
- ☞ Address: 70-21 Heyrimaeul-gil, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Hapjeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2, 6), Exit 1.
- Take bus 2200 and get off at Heyri Bus Stop.
- ☞ Website: www.heyri.net (Korean, English)
Provence Village
Beginning with a chic French restaurant in 1996, Provence Village
in Paju has a
more authentic French-feel than that of Seoul's French area, Seorae
Maeul. Dotted and colored in various characteristics, restaurants,
boulangeries, and coffee shops in town are true representatives of
imagination come to
life.
Although the buildings are beautifully decorated like
a children's storybook, you needn't stay indoors in order to experience
them. Just lightly strolling around the neighborhood and sampling some
scrumptious street foods will also
be part of the fun here. Local specialties that became a recent fad,
such
as the ring-shaped garlic bread called a "kiss-ring," which is even
known by Pope Francisco, as he tasted the bread on his papal visit to
Korea last year.
- ☞ Address: 77 Saeori-ro, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Hapjeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2, 6), Exit 1.
- Take bus 2200 and get off at Seongdong-ri Intersection Bus Stop.
- Walk for about 15 minutes northwest. (Total travel time: approx. 1 hour)
Heal your soul surrounded by greenery
Soulone
If you watched the TV drama Sensory Couple, you would probably
have noticed Soulone Botanical Garden,
which was featured as the male lead's mansion. Stretching over 13,200
square meters, the garden will help you relax your mind and body from
the stresses of daily life as you breathe in the fresh air that
Soulone's garden produces.
Rest your eyes as you walk between the trees, rocks,
and potted plants beautifully decorated with evergreens, tropical trees,
as well as other exotic plants. Take your loved ones to this greenhouse
and try a delicately brewed coffee while quietly gazing across the
view.
- ☞ Address: 426 Geomsan-ro, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Hapjeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2, 6), Exit 1.
- Take bus 2200 and get off at gate 1 at Heyri Art Valley Bus Stop.
- Take a taxi to the garden (approx. 20 minutes).
- ☞ Hours:
- Apr-Oct 09:30-19:00 / Nov 10:00-17:30 / Dec-Feb 11:00-17:00 / Mar 09:30-18:30
- ※ Last admission: 1 hour before closing / Closed on Mondays
- ☞ Admission: 5,000 won
Byeokchoji Botanical Garden
Byeokchoji Botanical Garden
was established in 1965 on the belief that nature brings great joy to
people's lives. Located near the Seoul Metropolitan Area, it is a
perfect natural getaway for urban residents, as well as a great backdrop
for filming romantic scenes. The area has been well preserved and
maintained, attracting thousands of visitors every year who like to go
there to partake in the East Asian practice of forest bathing.
Of course, let's not forget about the numerous diverse
plant species from home and abroad! There are many sizes of fountains
and plaster statues filling the European garden, the traditional Korean
garden, and the Queen's Garden at the very center. Moreover, the
facility offers exciting hands-on experiential programs, such as topiary
and pottery making, and a luminaries festival that takes place from
November to February.
- ☞ Address: 242 Buheung-ro, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Seoul Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 3.
- Take bus 703 heading to Gwangtan and get off at Gwangtan Market Bus Stop.
- Take a taxi to the garden (approx. 10 minutes).
- ☞ Hours:
- Mar-Oct 09:00-Sunset / Nov-Feb (Luminaries Festival) 10:00-22:00
- ☞ Admission: (Adults) Weekdays 7,000 won / Weekends 8,000 won
Nearby attractions not to be missed
Paju Premium Outlets
If there's one thing that tourists like to do as
much as visiting tourist attractions, it would have to be shopping.
Carve out some time
to visit Paju Premium Outlets,
where you can find over 220 various fashion brands in one location.
With architecture designed like a theme park, it not only offers great
prices but a fun environment to spend some time.
- ☞ Address: 200 Pilseung-ro, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Hapjeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2, 6), Exit 1.
- Take bus 2200 and get off at Paju Premium Outlets Rear Entrance Bus Stop.
- ☞ Hours:
- -May-Oct 10:30-21:00
- -Nov-Apr 10:00-20:30 (Mon-Thur) / 10:30-21:00 (Fri-Sun)
- -Closed on Chuseok and Seollal
- ☞ Website: www.premiumoutlets.co.kr (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese)
Sanmeoru Farm
Sanmeoru Farm, which was featured in the popular TV program We Got Married, is a place where you can not only taste fresh wine made from meoru,
Korean wild grape, but also see exactly how wine is made. Its popular
winery tour has made it a well-sought attraction particularly for
Chinese and Southeast Asian tourists. For those visiting Sanmeoru Farm,
be sure to tour the place where the wine is made, as well as the
basement tunnel full of barrels of ripening wine. You can even take a
picture at the photo zone and participate in the Making Wine Just for Me
(나만의 와인 만들기) program, which allows you to make a personal label for
your bottle of wine.
- ☞ Address: 441-25 Witbaeuni-gil, Jeokseong-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Munsan Station (Gyeongui Line 1).
- Take bus 92 and get off at Jeokseong Bus Terminal Bus Stop.
- Take a taxi to the farm (approx. 10 minutes).
- (Travel time via taxi from Munsan Station: approx. 40 minutes)
- ☞ Hours:
- Group 08:30-17:30 / Individual 14:00-17:30
- ☞ Admission: Winery tour 3,000 won / Making Wine Just for Me 15,000 won
Pinocchio Museum & Paju Book City
If you're someone who enjoyed the story of
Pinocchio, a wooden puppet who dreamed of being a real boy and whose
nose grows longer whenever he lies, then you'll enjoy the Pinocchio Museum,
a special museum devoted to author Carlo Collodi's famous story "The
Adventures of Pinocchio." The museum is packed full of books, dolls,
stationery, watches, and other various gifts and collectibles related to
the world famous character. It's especially popular because you can see
real marionettes, as well as a 3D-animated Pinocchio video. There are
even experiential programs like wood-carving for visitors to get more
hands-on education.
Given that the Pinocchio Museum is located within Paju Book City,
it's highly recommended to check out both places while you're in the
area. Paju Book City is an industrial complex that oversees the
planning, editing, printing, and distribution of books, and is also
comprised of a library, a gallery, and even secondhand bookstores.
- ☞ Address: 152 Hoedong-gil, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ☞ Directions:
- Get off at Hapjeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2, 6), Exit 1.
- Take bus 2200 and get off at Eunseokgyo Bridge Intersection Bus Stop.
- ☞ Hours:
- Weekdays 10:00-18:00 / Weekends and holidays 10:00-19:00 / Closed on Mondays
- ☞ Admission: 8,000 won (Fees for experiential programs not included.)
- ☞ Inquiries: 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
*This column was last updated on June 2015, and
therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise
you to check details from the official website before visiting.
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