South Korea is not large – its landmass is roughly half the size of the United Kingdom, one quarter of Japan, or one hundredth of that of the USA. It also only shares its northern border with North Korea, with the rest of its border coastal. Yet, many of the cities are landlocked, thanks to its fairly uniform shape, which means it is home to a range of environments, including many scenic parks, mountains, and forests.

Jeonju is one of these landlocked cities, located around two thirds of the way down the country and slightly inland from its western coastline. Though the city is famed for its history and cuisine, there are also a number of gorgeous locations to be surrounded by nature and take a break from the bustling Hanok Village, too. So, to help digest our abundant meals, we visit a couple to take some scenic nature walks.

WanSan Park (완산공원)

WanSan Park is located on a hill on the southern side of Jeonju. It’s a famous scenic spot for locals to visit during the cherry blossom season during late spring. Korea’s love for the flowers are not as famed as Japan’s, but when there are canopies of luscious pink sprawling amongst flowers and trees of other colours in full bloom it’s understandable why this season is anticipated as it rolls around every year.

We missed this cherry blossom season by a few weeks, but decided to take a walk anyway to help digest our previous meal(s). The paths up the mountain are very clearly paved and marked – in fact, many of the routes up the hill are roads for vehicles to pass. As such, it’s exceptionally easy to find entrances to the hill as they join off from driveways right from the main roads, and each path is marked and wide enough for 1-2 cars to pass safely.

Because the path to walk are built for cars, it’s steady and solid, though can become fairly steep. However, with the cover of the trees from the sun and the short distance to the peak of about 2km depending on the route you take, you can reach the park with about 20-30 minutes of leisurely strolling. There are also places where the road forms hairpin bends where the road is flatter, often with places to rest such as benches.

There are bathrooms at the top of the hill, but they are not clean at all. At the top of the hill, there is a tall staircase which leads to the viewing pavilion. This area can only be accessed on foot, and the stairs are narrow and can be uneven, so care must be taken for those who may not be so steady-footed. Still, it is not difficult to climb for most, and the pavilion at the top offers great views – or so we suspect. Our great off-peak season timing meant it was the best time for them to do renovations, which meant it was closed off and covered in scaffolding. Not ideal, but what could we really do?

Overall, it’s not a difficult walk, and not very long at all. Depending on how long one stays to take photos at the top, it’s an activity that can be done within an hour or two. We highly recommend it for people who are visiting in spring, when the trees are full of flowers.

DeokJin Park (덕진공원)

DeokJin Park is known for its natural pond, which blooms with lotus flowers in the summer months of July and August. At this time, the pond is covered with greenery and the blooming pink lotus flowers. Lotuses, also known as water lilies, are valued by many countries throughout Asia, revered for the seed’s ability to germinate even after centuries of dormancy.

The pond during off-season is bare, but still a nice area to visit thanks to its quiet surrounding areas and its well-kept grounds. There are many plants and sculptures, and its location and atmosphere makes it a spot that many of the older locals visit during the day.

If you’re in Jeonju during the season of lotuses, we highly recommend a visit. With the size of the body of water we’d imagine it’s a sight for it to be covered in flowers.

Ajung Lake (아중저수지)

South Korea are excellent at rebuilding, recovering from wars to become world-leaders in several industries, or even on smaller scale projects such as redoing a concrete skate park in Seoul into their famous YeoUiDo Park. Ajung Lake (아중저수지) is yet another example of such a feat of meticulous planning and perseverant execution.

Located on the eastern corner of Jeonju, this now-gorgeous body of water was once a reservoir for farmers, and an eyesore to many of the local residents who refused to acknowledge its presence. After several major changes the construction of the bridge and viewing platform, it’s now a different story. Pristine, blue, and peaceful, the calming surface of the still waters makes for incredible pictures. The platform even includes a stage for performances, with events held by the community during special occasions. With the bridge lighting up in upon nightfall and cherry blossoms blooming in the surrounding area during spring, the Lake has become a destination for relaxation.

The parameter of the lake can be traversed easily on foot, and will take only around half an hour at a leisurely pace. While the western side, where the bridges and platforms lie across the lake, are flat and easy to walk, the eastern side over the hills, with much of it being stairs with barely any view. While it’s still a nice walk, it’s something we felt would be important to mention in the case people anticipate the bridge to run all the way through.