There is a place in Korea which is often referred to as "Korean Alps" for its breathtaking scenery.
It is the popular Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm located in mountainous Gangwon-do (Gangwon Province) in the northeastern part of the country.

Established in 1988, the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm lies in the Pyeongchang side of Daegwallyeong Valley, covering an area of 195 square kilometers.

Yes, it is a sheep farm and you will expect to see herds of white sheep grazing in the green pasture.

That holds true for some months in a year.

You can see about 270 roaming sheep during the summer and in the late spring and early autumn. The sheep grazing season varies depending on the weather, but it usually begins in early May and lasts until the end of October. During this season the sheep are allowed to graze 24 hours every day.

But during the winter, it is all about snow as Daegwallyeong gets the heaviest snowfall in the country and the sheep farm is all covered with snow.

Therefore, during the winter season, you can hardly enjoy a nice view of the grazing sheep and the sheep are kept in the shed, but it is still worth visiting there.

The ranch is covered with thick snow, creating a beautiful view of snow-covered fields. The clear blue sky contrasted by the snow-white fields is truly awesome.

If you stand there in the snow in serenity, you will feel as if you are cut off from the outside world.

There is a 1.2 km-long walkway, which surrounds the sheep's grazing field.

It takes about one hour to walk along this path. You may also wish to drive, but walking is recommended.

At the entrance of the walkway stands a wooden shack for the backdrop of the movie “The Man from Mars.” The shack served as a backdrop along with a white snowy field where the two main characters finally fell in love in the movie.

The wooden shack fits perfectly with the sheep farm, so it has been kept after the filming of the movie. Past the shack stands a 950m-high steep peak of the sheep farm.

After the walk, you may enjoy the chance to interact with the fluffy sheep as visitors are allowed to feed them in the shed.

The sheep farm is run privately by a businessman-turned-farmer. It is open to the public year-round.

During summer between May and September, the farm is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and during winter between October and April, it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The entrance ticket is 3,000 won (about US $2.5) for adults and 2,500 won for children under five years of age. With an entrance ticket, each person is given a small basket of dried grass to feed the sheep.

Depending on the weather, the farm may be closed, so it is better to check by calling the ranch before making your trip.

The region is also famous for beef, potatoes and buckwheat.

For more information call (033) 335-1966 (Korean only) or visit www.yangtte.co.kr (Korean)
Or you can call the Travel phone: 033-1330 (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese).

**How to get there:

[From Seoul to Hoenggye]
Take a bus at Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (subway line 2, Gangbyeon Station) → Get off at Hoenggye Bus Terminal (takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes / First bus 06:32, Last bus 20:05)

[From Hoenggye to the Farm]
Take a taxi to the farm. It takes within 10 minutes.

By Han Aran
Korea.net Staff Writer