PyeongChang, not just the Olympics: in South Korea the mountain meets the sea
March 27, 2019
I know, after all you haven’t completely lost the hopes of escaping for some time and taking refuge in South Korea to witness even a piece of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games . It now takes less than a month – the Olympics will take place from 9 to 25 February – and even if the prices have now reached the stars and the tickets are almost all booked, some small miracles can still be done.
PYEONGCHANG, THE PLACES OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES
First of all, you have to decide if you prefer to attend a ski race or a skating competition. These two major categories of sports, in fact, will take place in two different locations. Ski events will be held in the Yongpyong and Jeongseon mountains , in PyeongChang county. The competitions in the ice arenas, instead, will be held on the coast, in the modern and lively town of Gagneung. Of course, the three locations are not very distant from each other (running the Olympic events in sites reachable in 30/60 minutes is one of the strengths of the organization of the Games) and they are very well connected both by road transport and by transport on rail. But it’s always good to have a clear idea when organizing such a long journey, isn’t it? In any case, at this link you can take a look at the tickets for the scheduled sporting events, the various price ranges and their availability.
PYEONGCHANG, HOW TO REACH IT
Whether you want to go to the Yongpyong and Jeongseon ski areas , whether you prefer the town on the Gagneung coast, the best logistics base to reach South Korea from Italy is undoubtedly the capital Seoul . Wanting to start at the beginning of February, the costs for a round-trip solution go from a minimum of 679 euros (with Aeroflot, but with a very long and problematic stopover in Moscow), to a maximum of 1473 euros (Alitalia, direct flight from Rome of “sun” 11 hours and 25 minutes). Seoul, which as an international metropolis needs no introduction, is from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours compared to the places of the Olympics.
A sacrifice that is perhaps worth facing. In the days of the Games, South Korea will be a real crossroads of cultures: not only will the destinies of 89 participating countries intertwine, but the organizers have planned a series of events that will involve all Asian countries, even those that do not have athletes who will compete in winter sports.
A sort of Expo of the variegated and fascinating East, in a breathtaking and complete panorama: in PyeongChang county, in fact, the Olympic mountains – no higher than 1500 meters – give way to the beaches of the Sea of Japan, to the markets of cities on the coast, with their perfumes and with their wide choice of incenses and molluscs. In three weeks, South Korea will be the center of the world. One more reason not to miss an opportunity perhaps unrepeatable.
