Trip to Cheongyang the Korean Alps Welchon | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Chilgapsan is called the Alps of Chungnam. Situated just below the summit of Chilgapsan on the mountain's foothills, the village is located in Cheonjang-ri, named for its meaning of 'high as a ceiling,' along with the beautiful Cheonjang Lake, it came to be called Cheonjang-ri Alps Village. In Alps Village, there are Chilgapsan hiking trails, the longest suspension bridge in Korea crossing Cheonjang Lake called Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge, a rural-urban exchange center, and a well-being experience farm. Every winter, the village hosts a popular Ice Fountain Festival attracting many visitors. At the Ice Fountain Festival, you can enjoy sculptures made of snow and ice, as well as various sledding and ice bobsleigh experiences. Additionally, activities like zip trekking and gourd crafts are also available.

Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge is a famous bridge in Cheongyang. Built in 2009, it has a total length of 207 meters, and at the middle of the bridge stands a 16-meter-tall main tower shaped like Cheongyang's specialty products, goji berries and chili peppers, which draws attention. Below it starts the 1.5-meter-wide suspension bridge, which, after walking about 20 meters, swings up, down, left, and right, providing a subtle thrill. Crossing the bridge leads to an observatory and a hiking trail toward Chilgap Mountain. For those who find hiking difficult, a stroll along Cheonjangho's lakeside to Hwangryongjeong Pavilion is also enjoyable. Cheonjangho, where the suspension bridge is located, lies at the end of the Chilgap Mountain foothills extending eastward. It boasts outstanding scenery considered one of Cheongyang's famous sights, with a hiking trail to the Chilgap Mountain summit allowing visitors to enjoy the charm of Cheonjangho, the suspension bridge, dense forests, and quaint valleys. Especially, with night openings, the suspension bridge offers a unique attraction.

Chilgapsan Astronomical Observatory Star Park is located halfway up Chilgapsan, known as the ancestral mountain of Baekje. The name Chilgap comes from 'Chil (7),' the principle of the creation of the universe and all things, and 'Gap,' symbolizing the first in the sixty-gapja celestial cycle. Chilgapsan Astronomical Observatory, the only one situated within a provincial park in Korea, is an astronomy and space-themed science center where visitors can experience the clear night sky in the pristine nature of Cheongyang. It features Korea's largest refracting telescope with a full-dome 3D imaging system and various astronomy programs to feel the mystery of the universe. The observatory includes a planetarium, main observatory, auxiliary observatory, and audiovisual room. The planetarium projects a virtual sky identical to the real night sky onto a 10m dome screen, enabling astronomy education regardless of weather conditions. It offers high-resolution 3K Full Dome videos using a 5-channel laser projection system and space science videos with a 5.1-channel surround sound system. The main observatory, equipped with the country's largest 304mm refracting telescope for a public observatory, allows observation of planets, nebulae, and star clusters. The auxiliary observatory, designed with a hemispherical sliding dome surrounding the main observatory for the first time in Korea, houses various auxiliary telescopes of different types and apertures, also for observing celestial objects. On the first floor, the audiovisual room provides astronomy lectures focused on space science during events.

Cheongyang, home to Chilgabsan's dense forests, clear water, and fresh air, is known for abundant, safe, and fresh food products such as goji berries, chili peppers, melons, soybeans, and chestnuts. It produces high-quality agricultural specialties that consumers can trust. The local food venue Nongbu Market & Nongbu Table supports farmers by securing sales channels to increase their income and offers consumers safe food. The first floor is Nongbu Market, a local food direct store selling seasonal agricultural products, freshly picked fruit, side dishes, and fresh fruit beverages grown in Cheongyang. The second floor is the restaurant Nongbu Table, offering menus such as freshly made goji rice cake galbi set, Korean beef galbi, and mushroom hot pot, all made with Cheongyang agricultural products.