Pohang

Bogyeongsa is a major Buddhist temple complex set deep in a mountain valley 30 km north of central Pohang. The approach trail follows a stream past 12 named waterfalls, making the journey as spectacular as the destination. The temple preserves important Silla- and Goryeo-era stonework alongside more recent buildings.

Jukdo Market is the largest seafood market in South Korea, sprawling across over 1,500 stalls along Pohang's inner harbour. The market is divided into a wholesale fish auction area, retail stalls selling every variety of East Sea catch, and a second-floor hoe (raw fish) restaurant zone where stallholders will prepare your purchase to eat on the spot.

Homigot ("Tiger Tail Cape") is the most easterly point on the Korean mainland peninsula, making it the first place on the continent to see the sun rise each morning. The headland is dominated by the Hand of Harmony — a pair of giant bronze hands, one rising from the sea and the other from the shore — symbolising peace and reunion.

The POSCO History Museum, located on the POSCO campus in southern Pohang, tells the story of how a small fishing town became the home of the world's fourth-largest steelmaker. Interactive displays cover the full arc from Korea's post-war industrialisation to POSCO's current green-steel initiatives.

The Homigot Lighthouse is a historic 26-metre lighthouse built in 1908 during the Korean Empire period, making it one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in Korea. Adjacent to it, the National Lighthouse Museum — the only one of its kind in Korea — traces the history of maritime lighting from oil lamps to modern LED systems.

Bukbu Beach (North Beach) is the most popular urban beach in Pohang, stretching 1.7 km along the northern shore of Yeongil Bay. The calm, shallow waters make it a favourite for families, while the boardwalk and cafés along the seafront keep it lively from morning to late evening in summer.

Guryongpo Beach is a sheltered crescent of sand in the Guryongpo harbour area, framed by rocky headlands and backed by a strip of raw-fish restaurants famous across Korea for fresh crab and sashimi. The calm waters and compact size make it an intimate alternative to Pohang's larger city beaches.

Haseondae is a dramatic coastal cliff formation near Guryongpo, composed of columnar basalt columns formed by ancient volcanic activity. The rugged headland, sometimes called "Pohang's Jeju," juts into the East Sea with a viewing platform at the edge and a coastal walking trail along the cliff top.

Hwanho Park is a long, narrow seaside park stretching along the Pohang waterfront between the harbour and Bukbu Beach. The paved coastal trail, shaded by pines, connects the ferry terminal to the beach district and is popular with joggers, cyclists, and sunset strollers.

The Igari Anchor Observatory sits on a hilltop above Pohang's main harbour, offering a sweeping panorama that takes in the commercial port, the vast POSCO steel complex, Yeongil Bay, and the mountains ringing the city. A large anchor sculpture at the summit marks the viewpoint.

The Janggi Peninsula Coastal Trail is a 6 km walking route that traces the rugged eastern shoreline of the Janggi peninsula south of Guryongpo. The undeveloped path passes rocky headlands, tidal pools, hidden coves, and windswept pines, offering some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on Korea's east coast.

Oeosa is a mountain temple located in a remote valley on the western outskirts of Pohang, approximately 20 km from the city centre. Associated with the legendary monk Wonhyo — who is said to have attained enlightenment after drinking from a skull-cup near here — the temple is surrounded by dense forest and offers a genuinely secluded atmosphere.

The Pohang Canal (Pohang Unhe) is a landscaped waterway running through the city centre, created by opening up a formerly covered drainage channel. Flanked by walking paths, ornamental plantings, and pedestrian bridges, it serves as a linear urban park and a pleasant shortcut through the downtown area.

The Yeongilman Harbour Promenade is a landscaped waterfront walkway along the inner harbour of Pohang, connecting Jukdo Market to the Yeongildae Beach area. Lined with seafood restaurants, public art installations, and harbour views, it's the city's most popular evening stroll.

Dodotgol (also known as Crescent Moon Village) is a hillside residential neighbourhood in central Pohang that has been transformed into an open-air mural gallery. Local and visiting artists have covered walls, staircases, and alleyways with colourful paintings, turning a formerly overlooked area into an Instagram-friendly attraction.

Guryongpo Japanese-Style Street is a preserved block of early-20th-century Japanese colonial architecture in the fishing port of Guryongpo, about 25 km southeast of central Pohang. The narrow lane of two-storey wooden buildings has been restored and opened as a cultural heritage district, with galleries, tea rooms, and a museum of colonial-era history.

The Pohang Museum of Steel Art (PoSMA) is Korea's only museum dedicated to art and sculpture crafted from steel. Set on a landscaped campus along the Hyeongsan River, it combines large-scale outdoor steel sculptures with rotating indoor exhibitions by Korean and international artists.

The Pohang Aquarium (also known as the Living Science Museum) is a compact marine facility on the Bukbu Beach waterfront, showcasing fish and marine life from the East Sea alongside interactive science exhibits. While modest in scale compared to Seoul's major aquariums, it's a good family-friendly option and a rainy-day alternative to the beach.

The Pohang Space Walk is a striking steel-loop structure rising 25 metres above the waterfront near Yeongildae Beach. Designed by POSCO A&C architects and inspired by a Möbius strip, the walkway twists and turns 333 metres through the air, offering ever-changing views of the harbour, sea, and city skyline.

Yeongildae Beach is Pohang's historic main beach, situated at the southern end of Yeongil Bay directly below the Space Walk skywalk. Smaller than Bukbu Beach but more central, it's the venue for the city's annual New Year Sunrise Festival and hosts a string of seafood restaurants along its promenade.