Dodamsambong, Danyang

Dodamsambong is a trio of limestone peaks standing in the Namhangang river at Danyang, the largest of them crowned with a small pavilion. They are the best known of the eight scenic views the town has claimed for centuries, and the setting carries them: green water, wooded karst hills, and mist sitting on the surface in the early morning. A riverside promenade runs out to the rocks from the car park, tour boats pass close by, and a short walk upstream leads to Seokmun, a natural stone arch on the hillside above the water. Danyang itself is a small riverside town that makes a practical base for the limestone caves and ridge walks around it.

What you actually see

• The three peaks - the limestone rocks in the river, with the pavilion on the largest.
• Seokmun - the natural stone arch on the slope a short walk upstream.
• The riverside promenade - the paved walk out along the bank from the car park.
• Morning mist - the low cloud sitting on the river surface at first light.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, and early morning gives the mist that makes the photographs. The rocks are lit at night in season. Water levels change the look considerably, since a high river swallows the base of the peaks. Weekends bring coach parties from Seoul; a weekday morning is a different place.

Honest expectations

It is a fifteen-minute stop rather than an outing: you look at the rocks from the bank, take the photograph and leave, unless you take a boat. The bank is developed with car parks, stalls and a viewing platform, and the road runs close behind. Danyang has grown a cluster of paid attractions around it, and the town centre gets very busy in the walking season.

Nearby

The limestone caves around Danyang, the Mancheonha skywalk and the ridges of Sobaeksan are all close.