PETITE FRANCE
In the Gapyeong County (provinve of Gyeonggi-do), at about two hours from Seoul, there is a “Little France” in Korea.
| After travelling 10 km along the lakeside road from Cheongpyeong Dam, in the direction of Namiseom Island, you will come across a cluster of white, exotic buildings on the left-hand hillside. From its outward appearance, it would appear to be a village that belongs on the Mediterranean coast or in a pastoral area of the Piedmont Alps. This is Petite France, a French cultural village set in the Korean countryside! Petite France serves as both a French cultural village and a youth training facility (Goseong Youth Training Center), and consists of 16 French-style buildings where visitors can lodge and experience French food, clothing, and household culture. The concept of Petite France encapsulates ‘flowers, stars, and the Little Prince.’ The village contains a memorial hall dedicated to Saint-Exupery, the author of the celebrated French novel, Le Petit Prince (1943) and as such it is called the Little Prince theme park. It also has a gallery displaying sculptures and paintings of le coq gaulois (the Gallic rooster), the national symbol of France; Orgel House where a 200-year-old music box plays a sweet melody; a shop that sells herbal and aromatic products; a souvenir shop; and many other locales where you can experience French culture. The village can accommodate up to 200 visitors with 34 guest rooms that hold four to ten people each. Enjoy the marionette experience and hear percussion instruments from around the world, and also enjoy soap bubble experience. |
| Operating Hours |
| 09:00 ~18:00 |
| Available Facilities |
| * Little Prince theme park * Exhibitions – Saint-Exupery memorial hall; a pavilion to exhibit French household culture; gallery of the coq gaulois exhibition * Shops – Bistro; herbal shop; Little Prince souvenir shop; orgel shop * Other Attractions - Puppet theater; activity center; multi-purpose hall; outdoor performance site; observatory; a walking path (along which wild flowers bloom); Adventure Hill |
| Admission Fees |
| * Preschoolers (ages 3-7) 5,000 won (group admission of kindergarten 3,000 won) * Youths 6,000 won (group 4,000 won) * Adults 8,000 won (group 6,000 won) ※ Group - more 20 people ※ Free admission for overnight guests. |
| Directions |
| * A bus runs between Seoul (East Seoul terminal) and Cheongpyeong departing every 20 to 30 minutes (06:15-22:05), and takes one hour * A train runs between Seoul (Cheongnyangni station, Seongbuk station) and Cheongpyeong departing every 50 minutes (06:10-22:00), and the journey takes one hour. |
The entrance to the little village.
This is one of the nicest places. This plaza with its fountain and everything was perfect for having a cup of coffee and feeling like being in Europe for a while.
In some houses, the had also little exhibitions, like this one, devoted to French marionettes.
Would you say this is Korea?
Another view of the village in the middle of Gyeonggi-do mountains.
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