Taebaek (태백) is a city in Gangwon.
Get in
By plane
From Incheon or Gimpo International Airport (ICN or GMP), there is a direct intercity bus from the airports to Taebaek. These only operate four times a day, so it may be more efficient to enter Seoul by bus or AREX and use the more numerous bus and rail connection from there.
By bus
All intercity buses arrive at Taebaek Bus Terminal. There are connections to most cities in the capital region and the rest of Gangwon, as well as Busan, Daejeon, and Gwangju.
From Seoul, an intercity bus to Taebaek departs from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal every 30 minutes. The bus will make one or two stops along the way before reaching Taebaek. The trip takes around three hours. There are milk run buses that makes over 20 stops as well, which are not advisable as they will arrive later than the next direct bus. ₩24,600 or ₩31,900 depending on bus class.
By train
The main train stop is Taebaek Station located right next to the bus terminal. Dongbaeksan and Cheoram Stations are also within city limits but probably are not convenient for travellers.
From Seoul, six trains depart from Cheongnyangni station each day to stop at Taebaek en route to Gangneung. The trip costs ₩15,200 and takes 3 hours and 40 minutes.
From other cities direct rail connections are rare and undesirable compared to buses. There is one daily train that leaves from Busan (Bujeon Station) and arrives Cheoram a whopping 6 hours later. Two trains run between Daegu (Dongdaegu Station) and Cheoram and Dongbaeksan Stations each day as well.
Get around
By foot
Taebaek is quite small therefore transportation around the city core can be done mostly by walking. There is a car rental directly across the train station and bus terminal.
By bus
All city bus lines start and end at the bus terminal. Buses with three-digit line numbers are the same routes as their two-letter counterparts, only more expensive. The most commonly used bus lines for travellers are 1 (11,12,110,120), 4 (41, 410). Bus 1 and 4 are circular lines that loop (counterclockwise and clockwise respectively) around the city limits every 20 minutes to reach the main villages.
See
- Manggyeonsa Temple.A buddhist temple atop Taebaek-san. There is a store selling snacks and (non-alcoholic) drinks for hikers.
- Yongyeon Cave (용연동굴) (Buses beginning with 11 and 12 go to the caves, but they go back and forth between the terminal and other destinations before heading there so check with the driver. There is an articulated shuttle bus operating between the bus stop and parking lot and the entrance to the caves (replaced by vans during off season)). 09:00 - 18:00 (booth close 17:00). It's 920 m above sea level, and 843 m long. The interior of the cave has four plazas and two water pathways. In the center plaza, there's a rhythm water fountain dancing to a musical beat, and a volcano water fountain. ₩3,500 (adults), ₩2,500 (13-19), ₩1,400 (under 13).
- 1 Taebaek Coal Museum (태백 석탄박물관), 195, Cheonjedan-gil, ☏ 82 33-552-7730. 09:00-18:00. Adult ₩ 2,000 / Teenage ₩ 1,500 / Child ₩ 700.
Do
- Mountain climbing. Climbing Taebaek-san is the main attraction in Taebaek city. Mt. Taebaek is one of the higher peaks of Korea and the area around the mountain has been designed a provincial park. The peak is criss-crossed with numerous hiking trails but none of them overly strenuous. At a reasonable rate a hiker can expect to reach the summit in about two hours. From the Taebaek Bus Station (located across the street from the train station) a local city bus can be taken to the Taebaek Provincial Park entrance.
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Buy
Traditional foods and oils can be found in the main city market.
Eat
A local specialty is the Taebaek Hanu beef, from Taebaek cattle. You can find many restaurants with Hanu beef on the menu by exiting the main terminal and cross the roundabout. Most taxi drivers, if asked in Korean, will be able to direct you to their personal choice.
Another local specialty is Taebaek Dalkgalbi also known as Water Dalkgalbi (물닭갈비). Taebaek Dalkgalbi is more of a soup version of the more common Chuncheon Dalkgalbi, hence the name 'water'. It is marinated chicken in a gochujang sauce served with ramyeon or udon noodles. There are many places that serve dalkgalbi, but the original restaurant is simply called "Taebaek Dalkgalbi".
A traditional Korean home specializing in mountain vegetable bibimbap can be found within the city. To reach it: travel to the Il-ju-gong building complex, go down the alleyway which is on the left hand side of Paris Baguette and turn right at the intersection. It is the third restaurant on your right, located in a wooden shingled Korean home.
Many restaurants offer traditional mountain herbs in their side dishes as well.
Drink
There are several Korean hof, one dancing establishment and one Korean/Western bar in Taebaek.
Korean
- Africa (아프리카).
- Fish and Grill.
- St. Louis.
- Alley Bar.
Dance clubs
- GoGo Sunnis.
Korean/Western bar
- S-bar.