What are must-see places in Gyeonsangbuk-do?

[slandrey]

Hi, I live in Gyeonsangbuk-do province, and wanted advice for where to go, and what to see. I feel like I am not getting to experience the real Korea. It seems like I am missing out on some things because I am a foreigner. Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!
Sara

[miss_cho]

I live in Gyeongsangbuk-do too-

I'm not exactly sure about must see but ...

Mungyeong Saejae near Mungyeong is nice - You can "hike" (walk up an inclined path) through the forest to a few different gates. There's also a replica of a traditional village which is used in some historic dramas (2,000 won entry fee for the village).
This weekend there's a ceramics festival there and in the fall there's an omija festival (September?) and Apple festival (October)

Hahoe Village outside of Andong is a real traditional village - people actually live in the village and maintain their thatched roof homes. It can be a bit confusing which homes are actually open to visitors and which ones are private.

Andong has a mask festival in early October - groups from all over the world come to perform, you can make your own mask, try Andong soju, etc.

I'd be curious to see what other things people recommend, I'd like to get out and about in Gyeongsangbuk-do more.

[stwood8]

Sara... why don't you come visit Gimcheon some time and check out our little city :)  (This probably sounds a little creepy if you don't realize who I am...)

But in regards to must-see places, here's my input:

Gyeongju - Called the "Museum without walls" and contains a great deal amount of history.  I definitely plan to return, but Bulguksa was a lovely temple and the surrounding landscape was relaxing.  Bikes can be rented just outside of the station and the roads are very scenic, nice, and green.  Also, none of the sights are TOO far, and most of the roads are pretty flat.

Sangju - I don't know where exactly I went, but it has a small amusement park, trails that wind around trees and hills, and a small hike up to an observation tower to view the surrounding hills and rivers.  Cycling around this park would be Amazing, but there are a lot of hills and it might be a little difficult.  Besides that, it's very nice and relaxing, besides all of the kids.

Gimcheon - We have a temple here called Jikjisa, which.. (I think is the 11 bus from the station?  I could be wrong, if anybody wants to know for sure PM me and I can find out).  It is very nice, has a small park near it, and a nice little town with a river/creek running through it.  It's a nice place to have lunch and relax, but is most likely better during cherry blossom time in the spring or the leaves turning in the Fall.



I've used this site to research festivals and stuff and picked out a few:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto



I'm particularly interested in these ones, so if you're interested come join :)

Pohang Fireworks Festival
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp?cate=&area=&dateStart=01-01-2012&startDate=20120101&dateEnd=&endDate=&keyword=&category=&areaCode=&gotoPage=11&stype=&cid=1037621&out_service

Bonghwa Eun-eu (Sweet fish) Festival
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp?cate=&area=&dateStart=01-01-2012&startDate=20120101&dateEnd=&endDate=&keyword=&category=&areaCode=&gotoPage=11&stype=&cid=293130&out_service

And here's info for the Andong Mask Festival as mentioned earlier.
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp?cate=&area=&dateStart=01-01-2012&startDate=20120101&dateEnd=&endDate=&keyword=&category=&areaCode=&gotoPage=16&stype=&cid=697123&out_service

Cheongsong Apple festival
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp?cate=&area=&dateStart=01-01-2012&startDate=20120101&dateEnd=&endDate=&keyword=&category=&areaCode=&gotoPage=17&stype=&cid=1398781&out_service


Hope this helps!

[korr]

Gumi's more industrial than anything else, but if you're looking for a quick mountain to climb, Geumosan is really nice and about a 20 minute walk from the train station. I've only been as far as the waterfall and the cave Buddha, but I've been told it's possible to go up to the top and come back down in time for dinner.