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Chuncheon for First-Time Visitors: Dak-galbi Street and the Lake City
Level
A2
Type
Guide
Theme
Travel
작성자
Y
작성시각
The train pulls into Chuncheon Station after about an hour from Seoul, and the first question most visitors ask a local is where to find the chicken. A short list of words covers the food, the trains, and the two or three sights people actually build a day trip around.
Getting There
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
춘천 가는 기차표 주세요 | chun-cheon ga-neun gi-cha-pyo ju-se-yo | A train ticket to Chuncheon, please |
얼마나 걸려요? | eol-ma-na geol-lyeo-yo | How long does it take? |
Chuncheon sits in Gangwon-do, and the ITX-Cheongchun train from Yongsan or Cheongnyangni Station covers the distance in around an hour to an hour and a half. 춘천 가는 기차표 주세요 works at any ticket window or kiosk, and 얼마나 걸려요? is worth asking if you're comparing the express train against a slower regional option, since travel time varies more than the price does.
Ordering Dak-galbi
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
닭갈비 이 인분 주세요 | dak-kkal-bi i in-bun ju-se-yo | Two servings of dak-galbi, please |
막국수도 주세요 | mak-kkuk-ssu-do ju-se-yo | Buckwheat noodles too, please |
닭갈비 (dak-galbi) is the dish Chuncheon is best known for, spicy stir-fried chicken cooked on a large flat grill at the table, and most restaurants only serve it in portions for two or more. 닭갈비 이 인분 주세요 gets that order started, and 막국수도 주세요 adds the cold buckwheat noodles that traditionally round out the meal, a pairing common enough that some restaurants list them as a set.
Getting Around the City
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
자전거 대여소가 어디예요? | ja-jeon-geo dae-yeo-so-ga eo-di-ye-yo | Where's the bike rental place? |
스카이워크 가는 버스예요? | seu-ka-i-wo-keu ga-neun beo-seu-ye-yo | Is this the bus that goes to the Skywalk? |
자전거 대여소가 어디예요? is useful near Gangchon, where a former railway line was converted into the Gangchon Rail Park, a cycling and rail-bike route along the old tracks. 스카이워크 가는 버스예요? points toward the Soyanggang Skywalk, a glass-floor bridge over the river and one of the more photographed spots in the city. A map app is still worth double-checking against the bus number, since routes change.
A Note on Nami Island
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
남이섬도 여기서 가요? | na-mi-seom-do yeo-gi-seo ga-yo | Can I also get to Nami Island from here? |
남이섬도 여기서 가요? comes up naturally since Nami Island is administratively part of Chuncheon. The ferry terminal for the island actually sits closer to Gapyeong than to downtown Chuncheon, though, so the two don't always fit neatly into the same day trip.
Wrapping Up the Day
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
마지막 기차가 몇 시예요? | ma-ji-mak gi-cha-ga myeot-ssi-ye-yo | What time is the last train? |
마지막 기차가 몇 시예요? matters more in Chuncheon than in some other day-trip cities, since the ITX-Cheongchun doesn't run as late or as frequently as trains on busier lines closer to Seoul. Checking the return schedule before heading out to the Skywalk or the rail park avoids an unplanned night in a city you weren't set up to stay in.
A grilled plate of dak-galbi and a walk over a glass floor are what most people actually remember from a day in Chuncheon.