Travel Guide Vallée Mureung 무릉계곡

Some say it's the most beautiful valley in Korea. That may be an exaggeration if you've visited Seorak, but it's definitely worth a detour. The valley surrounding the torrent is so wooded that you can barely see the sky in summer. The torrent itself is impressive during the rainy season, but you can still swim in it in late summer. Not far from the start, after a bridge, smooth rocks are engraved with ancient calligraphy over which the water flows. Another bridge brings you to Samhwasa Temple, founded in 642 during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla. The 3-storey pagoda dates from 644, but is in the Goryeo style. The hall features a black wooden statue of Buddha. Further on, at Haksudae, the torrent glides over smooth rock. There are 2 mountains, Dutasan and Cheong-oksan, which can be climbed. On the left, you can climb up to the remains of the Dutasanseong fortress, built under Silla, rebuilt in 1414 and used during the 1592 invasion. Originally, it was 15 m high and 2,500 m long. Straight on, the path continues towards the beautiful waterfalls of Ssangpokpo ("the double waterfall") and Yongchupokpo. On the right, a path leads to Mount Cheong-oksan, some 11 km from the entrance. From the top, for the brave, a path leads to Dutasan, from where you can descend into the valley. After Mureung, the road becomes wilder, crossing mountains, almost uninhabited valleys, almost alpine plateaus, farms and high-altitude villages - a rarity in Korea.