Pocheon Art Valley

Pocheon granite was quarried here from the 1960s and used across Seoul; when the pit was abandoned in the 1990s it filled with groundwater and rain, and the city reopened it in 2009 as a park rather than fill it in. The result is Cheonjuho, a lake of clear green water held in vertical cut rock faces sixty-odd metres high, with walkways along the rim and a small monorail up from the entrance for anyone not wanting the climb. Around it are a sculpture park, an exhibition hall about granite and the quarry, a small observatory with evening viewing sessions, and a cafe. Swimming and boating are not permitted - the water is deep and cold and the sides are sheer. It has been used as a filming location often enough that Korean visitors recognise it. The green of the water is real, from mineral content, and is at its strongest in bright light.

What you actually see

• Cheonjuho lake - green water held in sixty-metre cut faces.
• The rim walkways - paths along the quarry edge.
• The sculpture park - work sited around the pit.
• The observatory - evening viewing sessions above the valley.

When to go

April to June and September to November; bright midday light is when the water colour is strongest. The observatory runs in the evening and needs booking.

Honest expectations

Ticketed, and the monorail is extra. No swimming or boats - the water is off limits. Compact: two to three hours. Winter closes some paths for ice.

Nearby

Sanjeong lake and the Herb Island complex are in the county.