‘Bangudae Petroglyphs’ in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, contain drawings of whales from prehistoric times. Gray whales used to swim through the waters near Jangsaengpo in Ulsan Bay to give births. The area has been designated as the Natural Heritage for Ulsan gray whale migration. Imprints of whales are all over Ulsan, whether on ground or in waters. Before whaling was outlawed in 1986, Jangsaengpo was the top spot for whale hunting. And it stands to reason that the only place that offers a comprehensive look all things related to whales in Korea is in Jangsaengpo. Jangsaengpo Whale Museum is located inside Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Zone.

We wanted a wide open, exhilarating view. Rocks of all sizes and shapes along the east coast line make for quite a sight to behold. Daewangam Park features Daewangam and other rock formations around it. The legend has it that the Queen of Munmu during Silla Dynasty is buried underneath Daewangam and became a dragon to protect the state. Daewangam Park and Ganjeolgot are two popular spots to watch the sunrise.

Who could ever have imagined so many people would gather around the Taehwa River, once infamous for its terrible odor? Ulsan cleaned up the river that had been polluted during the rapid industrialization and built an ecological park around it. With 21 gardens under six themes – including ecology, marine life, seasons, bamboo and rose of Sharon – the Taehwa River National Garden became the national garden in 2019, joining Suncheon Bay.
The Taehwa River National Garden stretches across Jung-gu and Nam-gu, sprinkled with beautiful gardens. In the late afternoon, you should head out to Milky Way inside the Simni Bamboo Grove.  At sunset, bamboos will be lit up, and 276 lights at night will make you feel like you’re inside the Milky Way.

LOTTE HOTEL ULSAN is some 10-minute drive from the Taehwa River National Garden’s Milky Way. Situated in the new downtown of Samsan-dong, LOTTE HOTEL ULSAN offers 200 rooms, with plenty of space for guests and elegant interior design. The hotel offers the panoramic view of the Onsan Industrial Complex, one of the 12 must-see sights of Ulsan. It also has the fitness center, the swimming pool and golf driving range. ‘Spa Eir’ and the sauna will help you unwind after a long day on the road.

Address 282 Samsan-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan
Phone +82-52-960-1000
Website www.lottehotel.com/ulsan-hotel

‘Bon Cheesery’ had the just kind of exterior that, if you stumbled upon it on Instagram, you’d click the ‘like’ button. It also has the menu that seems to belong to a bustling downtown. But Bon Cheesery is a good distance away from the heart of Ulsan. The dairy café is actually located near a farm. Jeong Hye-gyeong, who got into dairy in her 20s, has taken the family business over from her parents. She saved money working on farms for three years, and spent it on traveling to the U.S., Australia, Israel, Japan, Turkey and other countries in Europe that are known for advanced dairy farming. Based on what she learned from overseas, she opened ‘Bon Mil,’ a 33㎡ dairy café inside Bulgogi Village in Eonyang-eup in 2015. Despite her early success, Jeong didn’t jump into downtown and instead returned to the farm to stay closer to her roots. After opening Bon Cheesery, she also built her own factory to make food in safe and hygienic settings, rather than settling for mass production. Jeong has continued to challenge herself, building a new interactive space in front of Bon Cheesery. Visitors will be able to see firsthand how milk is made and what other products it makes.

Trevier Brewery is crafting its own craft beer culture in Ulsan. It started out in Samseon-dong in 2003 as ‘Trevi Brau Brewpub,’ inspired by the German Biergarten. The goal was to create a place where people would come together and mingle with. Then Hwang Jin-woo, who majored in food engineering in college and was an active member of a craft beer brewing club, joined the game, leading to the expansion into Trevier Brewery. It’s the only two-generation brewery in Korea, with the first-generation craft beer brewer father and his son in charge. It opened in 2015 inside a former low temperature warehouse for the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation in Eonyang. There are two buildings for beer brewing, plus a taphouse where patrons can sit in and drink beers or take them out. Sign up for a tour, at 2 p.m. or 5 p.m. on weekends, to see how beers are made at Trevier. You can test some, too. “As the craft beer brewery in Ulsan, we want to make the city proud,” Hwang said. ‘Trevier Home Festival,’ featuring music performances with Trevier beers flowing, celebrated its second anniversary. The brewery runs other cultural events that bring together local residents over craft beers.

Eonyang in Ulsan has long been famous for great water. Mineral water factories, soju factories and Trevier Brewery are all in this area. And ‘Boksoondoga’ may top them all in its national prestige and fame. Boksoondoga is best known for makgeolli (rice wine) that can rival wine and champagne. Kim Jung-sik and Park Bok-soon, and their two sons have stuck to the traditional home brewing techniques while giving it a twist to better cater to the modern taste buds. The brewery is named after the founder, Park. Made with Ulsan-grown rice and homemade yeast, makgeolli is fermented inside a pot that’s 70 years old. Natural carbonic acid is formed, with a blend of tart and fruity flavor. It takes far longer to make than ordinary makgeolli and the process is quite labor intensive. And there are people all over the place who appreciate such dedication. Over a thousand visitors, not just from Korea but from Japan and other foreign countries, come to the brewery to find out more about the story behind Boksoondoga’s makgeolli.