The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched,
they must be felt with the heart.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I heard and read that there is a French cultural village in Gapyeong, South Korea called Petite France which is located about an hour away from Seoul. It is a recreation of a typical village in Provence and it is entirely dedicated to Antoine de Saint -Exupéry‘s famous character ”Le Petit Prince”.
Being a curious and restless person, I decided to take a day off from my busy schedule and go on a little adventure away from the city.
Come along as we head to Petite France, South Korea.
My first stop? Cheongnyangni station to catch a train heading to Gapyeong Station (which is on the Gyeongchun Line).
I arrived at Gapyeong station only to find that I had just missed the free shuttle bus to the village!
Luckily, the nice lady at the Tourist Information Desk gave me all the information I needed. She even took me to the taxi stand where she gave directions to the driver and before I knew it we were on the way.
He spoke a bit of English and wanted to speak as much as he could! The road to the village is quite impressive and the view? Spectacular. He made an unscheduled stop to show me one of the best photo spots. Was it worth it? Oh definitely! See for yourself.
Talk about having a taxi driver and tour guide at once. It was my lucky day indeed 😉
After driving for 15 minutes and countless turns through the mountain, he stopped one more time to take a look of La Petite France from up the hill before arriving at the final destination.
The very first thing I did upon getting there was to ask the clerk at the entrance how to get back Seoul. She said that there was a local bus running every hour or so. I had to keep that in mind, so I set off to explore the premises.
I will let the pictures walk you through the little village.
There is even an observatory from where you can admire the village and also Mt Homyeongsan and Lake Cheongpyeong.
I must say that I was surprised to see that such a place exists in Korea. If you are really interested in French literature, movies and culture, like I am (I’m a French translator by profession and have studied for many years) and if like the Little Prince, you will find it quite interesting! I think an hour or two is enough to visit most of it.
Sadly, I had to leave and make my way back home. So I got on the local bus, arrived at the bus terminal and hopped on an express bus to Seoul. I was also in for a rare treat. From my bus seat I could admire the sunset. Have a look at this priceless image!
I certainly had a great time and I cannot wait for the next adventure which should be this coming week-end.
Hope you enjoyed reading and going on a photography tour of Petite France, South Korea!
I think I just set my own personal record of the number of photos in one single post. Is there such thing as too many pics? Not for a photographer like me 🙂
Now I’m turning it over to you…
Tell us,
Have you traveled somewhere just for an attraction?
Are you a fan of theme parks?
If so, which ones are your favorites?
Share it with us in the comments below and include links so that we can see and read about them!
Until next time, à la prochaine
Kay 🙂
Traveller Soul 
Lovely photographs…..
Thank you! I had fun taking them 🙂
OMG what a quaint and lovely place! I’m so happy you were able to escape there for a weekend!!!
Thanks for stopping by bella! Yes it was quite a nice discovery and I am glad I got the chance to travel there. For a moment I forgot I was in Korea but really in some little French village 😉
Talk to you soon! *hugs*
Merci beaucoup!
Il n’y a pas de quoi! 😉
If I didn’t know better, I’d never have guessed in Korea. Interesting… Very nice photos and I can imagine the cab ride there was great!
Thank you Pola! Glad you liked it!
Living there for 2 years I would have never guess it either!
But yes it does exist and I am so glad I went on quite an adventure that day.
My cab driver was just awesome, I think he was God-sent because he was all happy to have a foreign passenger (only a crazy adventurer who is willing to go out there and explore!)
I had so much fun stopping in certain areas where the views were spectacular and once we got there I was kind of sad to say good bye!
Silly me, I didn’t even ask his name but then again the memories will stay with me forever 😉
Wish I’d known of this place when I was in Seoul last month!!
Thank you! That’s too bad you didn’t know about it.
It is not that far from Seoul and is a fun day trip 😉 I loved it!
I’m a big believer in synchronicities, so I think that everything lined up just nicely for me.
It was like going to another continent 😉
Hope you enjoyed your stay in Korea.
Whereabouts are you now?
Thank you for stopping by. Happy travels!
K 😉
Totally wish I’d known about this place when I was there too! Thanks for sharing… will definitely put it on the list for my next visit 🙂 x
I’m glad you liked it!
I actually read about it on the Korean Tourism Organization book they gave me when I arrived at my new school and I planned my weekly trips based on their recommendations 😉
It is only an hour away from Seoul and quite worth the trip!
Thanks for stopping by 😉
Thanks for taking us on your trip. Your photos are very inspiring of this wonderful village.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
You’re so welcome!
Glad to know you liked the tour 😉
Thank you for your super words of encouragement, totally ♥ the energy and can feel it 😉
Many blessings to you as well!
I enjoyed this visual tour of Korea. Thank you.
Thank you!
I’m happy to know you enjoyed the tour 😉
Who would have thought that such a place existed in Korea? Thank you for sharing…love the pictures!
It was a great surprise indeed and I’m so happy to have found it 😉
Happy to read you liked the pics, had so much fun taking them!
Thank you for visiting.
Thank you for sharing a piece of Korea which looks like Europe!
You’re so welcome!
So happy to read that you liked it.
Indeed it’s a charming European village 😉
What a funny little thing in the middle of Korea! I didn’t even notice that was a lot of pictures because they were all so good! TFS!
Ha ha yes it’s almost a secret location 😉
I’m quite adventurous, so I am always on the lookout for a challenge!
This was so beautiful that I kept snapping away even if it was about to pour down.
Thank you for your visit 😉
hi there, how long is the travel time from petit france to seoul? thank you 🙂
It takes about 1 hr by train and 30 mins by taxi. On the way back take the local bus to train station again or taxi then come back to Seoul!
A great day trip 😉
This place kind of reminds me of MontTremblant for some reason! It’s always nice to have a cultural departure when you’re traveling. I had some amazing Chinese food in Africa- I’m guessing if I were to eat it again today, I’d just find it average, but at the time it was such a welcome departure from the usual chicken, fish, and rice I was eating everyday. Lemon! Ginger! Soy Sauce! I was in heaven!
Wow sounds like quite an experience 😉
Yes sometimes when you are in a certain place you have cravings and if you satisfy your hunger, you’re more than happy!
Thank you for visiting 😉
Sometimes the best adventures happen when you miss a train (or turn a wrong corner)! What a great photo essay of your time in this charming little village. Thanks for the close-up of the mural art, so precious!
Thank you so much!
I’m happy you liked it.
Indeed I totally agree with you. The best adventures happen when you least expect it and they turn out much better than you could ever think of 😉
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That’s so funny! I honestly would have believed those photos were taken in France. Lovely pics.
Architects planned and built a village that resembles one in Provence! Success 😉
I’m happy you liked the pics. Had a great time taking them 😉
Thank you for visiting!
Taking so many photos when you’re in South Korea is totally understandable! It’s impossible to get contented with just one shot when you’re in such beautiful area!
I’m glad that you visited La Petite France in Gapyeong! If you watched A Gentleman’s Dignity, this is where they shoot one scene! It’s one of the prides of Gyeonggi Province, and looks best during Springtime because the nature is in full bloom! The colors of the flowers will really remind you of Provence. If only there’s a lavender field there…
And I wish you stayed there at night. When the skies turn dark, colorful lights lit up the whole place, and there’s even this area there where couples can walk through a shaped-heart tunnel lit with pink lights.
If you’re going back to Gapyeong, I suggest that you take the chance to go around the province. La Petite France is just one place you’ll appreciate. There are lots of Botanical Gardens there, which will surely impress you. I suggest the Plantation and the BCJ Garden. You may also want to visit the English Village in Yangpyeong, the setting of Boys Over Flowers. ^^
I said too much! :))
Kamsa Hamnida for all the advice Yenny!
Wow, looks like I only saw a fraction of the area right?
I would have loved staying longer and overnight as you suggested but I was limited with my time.
At least I had the courage to go on an adventure 😉
I can’t wait to return to Korea and explore some more.
Thank you for taking the time to write and for your visit!
Kay
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This is totally unexpected in a place like South Korea. Great find!
Indeed!
I’m so glad i went and found it 😉
Thanks for visiting!
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Hi, Karla,
I’m in the US and watch kdramas. I’ve seen what I now know is Petite France in “Beethoven Virus” and in “My Love From The Star.” I ended up finding your post about it. Thank you for the information and the photos.
In My Love From The Star you can see Petit France on Viki beginning at 42:53 here:
http://www.viki.com/videos/1031154v-my-love-from-the-star-episode-15
FYI: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/02/06/2014020600585.html
Petit France is in multiple episodes of Beethoven Virus.
Hi Lesle!
Thank you for stopping by.
That is great to read that you love watching Kdramas, i did watch a few while I was there even though I understood just a bit 😉
Oh I just watched the 1st link & yes indeed they filmed it at Petite France.
It really is charming and beautiful setting for a movie, photo shot or just spend the day. I am so happy I found it!
Thank you for sharing that with us.
All the best
K 🙂
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Karla, what a quirky meeting of different cultures. When I saw your post title, I assumed the piece was on the Petite France district in Strasbourg, France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petite-France
I wonder how the bistro offerings compare to real French fare. Did you get a chance to try anything?
That was completely unexpected and LOVED going on a little adventure from the train station all the way to the village 🙂
Yes, I have also heard about that one in Strasbourg but I am not sure if they highlight The Little Prince as they do in Korea. It is gorgeous nevertheless!
I did not go into the bistro as it was closed but I did get the chance to sit down at a charming little café on site, ordered waffles and of course un café au lait 😉
That was one of the most fun day trips I took during the year I lived and work there 🙂
Karla, you’re right – I don’t think there’s a connection with Le Petit Prince in Strasbourg’s Petite France district.
That sounds like a delicious combination. 🙂 In what part of Korea did you live?
I lived in the suburbs of Seoul for 2 years.
That city is amazing and is definitely my Seoulmate 🙂
What a wordsmith you are, Karla. 🙂