Why this ride
A 183 km round trip from Gwangtan - roughly 4 h 19 in the saddle. On the way it passes Jangneung Cluster, Changdeokgung Palace Complex, Namhansanseong and back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Pajusamreung Cluster and Namhansanseong
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 183 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 19
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Jangneung Cluster → Changdeokgung Palace Complex
32 km on Jangneung Cluster → Changdeokgung Palace Complex.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 32 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Pajusamreung Cluster
Close to the most heavily fortified border in the world, three royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty lie in a quiet pine forest in Paju, north of Seoul. Pajusamreung, the three tombs of Paju, include the resting places of Queen Jangsun and Queen Gonghye, both married to kings and both of whom died young, and of King Jinjong, honoured after his early death. Like all the Joseon royal tombs, they follow a precise layout of spirit gates, stone paths, shrines and grass mounds guarded by stone officials and animals, and they are part of the World Heritage listing of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.
Read the complete Pajusamreung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Pajusamreung Cluster is where the day begins. Next is Jangneung Cluster.
2. Jangneung Cluster
The Joseon dynasty ruled Korea for over five hundred years, and its kings and queens were buried in carefully chosen spots around the capital, in tombs designed according to Confucian ritual and the principles of geomancy, with a hill behind, water in front and mountains framing the view. In 2009, forty of these tombs were listed by UNESCO as the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. Jangneung, in Gimpo, just west of Seoul, is the tomb of Wonjong, the father of King Injo, who was elevated to royal rank after his death. It is a quiet, wooded place, with a grassy burial mound, stone statues of officials and animals, and a T-shaped shrine where ancestral rites were held.
Read the complete Jangneung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Jangneung Cluster comes up about 31 km into the recorded legs. Next is Changdeokgung Palace Complex.
3. Changdeokgung Palace Complex
Changdeokgung was built in 1405 as a secondary palace for the Joseon kings, and it ended up being the one they actually liked living in. Where the main palace, Gyeongbokgung, was laid out on a strict axis, Changdeokgung was fitted into the foot of the hills, following the folds of the ground, and its halls, gates and courtyards feel more relaxed and more human as a result. After the Japanese invasions of the 1590s burned all of Seoul's palaces, this was the first to be rebuilt, and it served as the main royal residence for some two and a half centuries.
Read the complete Changdeokgung Palace Complex write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 63 km into the recorded legs you reach Changdeokgung Palace Complex. Next is Namhansanseong.
4. Namhansanseong
Just beyond the south-eastern edge of Seoul, the city stops abruptly against wooded mountains, and on top of them runs a stone wall with gates, watchtowers and command posts. Namhansanseong was built as an emergency capital, a mountain fortress where the king and court could retreat in time of invasion, and in the winter of 1636 to 1637 it was put to the test. King Injo fled here from the invading Qing army and held out for forty-seven days before hunger and the fall of other strongholds forced him to surrender. The fortress became a World Heritage Site in 2014.
Read the complete Namhansanseong write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Namhansanseong, about halfway. Next is back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex.
5. back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Changdeokgung Palace Complex write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex sits at 114 km, about halfway. Next is back through Jangneung Cluster.
6. back through Jangneung Cluster
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Jangneung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Jangneung Cluster comes up about 156 km into the recorded legs. Next is Pajusamreung Cluster.
7. Pajusamreung Cluster
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Pajusamreung Cluster write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Pajusamreung Cluster closes the day.
Leg by leg
Pajusamreung Cluster to Jangneung Cluster
Pajusamreung Cluster → Jangneung Cluster is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Jangneung Cluster to Changdeokgung Palace Complex
Jangneung Cluster → Changdeokgung Palace Complex is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Changdeokgung Palace Complex to Namhansanseong
Changdeokgung Palace Complex → Namhansanseong is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Namhansanseong to back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex
Namhansanseong → back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex to back through Jangneung Cluster
back through Changdeokgung Palace Complex → back through Jangneung Cluster is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Jangneung Cluster to Pajusamreung Cluster
back through Jangneung Cluster → Pajusamreung Cluster is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.