[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Enjoy the outdoors, indoors at Korea's best greenhouses

Outdoor activities are no longer as appealing as they used to be, especially in this cold weather. But you can try mixing things and adding a touch of the outdoor to your indoor pursuits.

Two children observe the view inside the tropical greenhouse at Sejong National Arboretum. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

Outdoor activities are no longer as appealing as they used to be, especially in this cold weather. But you can try mixing things and adding a touch of the outdoor to your indoor pursuits.

Exploring the great outdoors is increasingly tough as every day alternates between freezing cold and heavy pollution, and the endless shuffling around department stores and shopping malls quickly gets old. If that's the case, why not try making a visit to one of Korea's botanic gardens or orchards?

Though they might seem like outdoor days out, most gardens and orchards have large greenhouses to help you stay warm as you explore a variety of climates without ever leaving wintery Korea.

The following are the gardens worth visiting during the winter.

Seoul Botanic Park

Children enjoy their visit to the Seoul Botanic Park. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Seoul Botanic Park in Magok, western Seoul, opened in May 2019. Its location on the very western edge of the city means it's relatively unknown to many Seoulites, with a lot of people only catching a quick glimpse of the sign over the highway as they head out of town toward Incheon and the surrounding Gyeonggi cities.

But if you take the time to stop and look, the botanic park contains a range of attractions including a forest, a lake and wetland. There’s also the Botanic Center, which consists of a greenhouse, shaped like a domed football stadium, that gets especially crowded in the winter.

When you visit, look around while you stroll along the skywalk. You can see plants that would grow in the Mediterranean and tropical regions, with the average temperature shifting between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius [68 to 77 Fahrenheit] to mimic the atmosphere.

There are a variety of air-purifying plants, from a 12-meter banyan tree, Botree and Anthurium that also help to capture the fine dust. The greenhouse also highlights plants from 12 cities around the world, including Hanoi, Barcelona and San Francisco.

@seoulbotanicpark_official161, Magokdong-ro, Gangseo District, SeoulBusiness hours: Botanic Garden: March to October, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., November to February, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Closed every Monday. Tickets sold until one hour before closing time.)Forest Field, Lake Garden, Wetland: Open all year round Admission fee: 5,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for students (ages 13-19) and 2,000 won for children (under 13)Group visit (30 or more) receive a 30 percent discountPhone number: 02) 2104-9735Website: https://botanicpark.seoul.go.kr/eng/main.do

Sejong National Arboretum

The Indonesian ‘Devil tree’ towers over the plants in the tropical greenhouse zone. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

As a fairly recent edition to the map, Sejong for years was known as a city that offered very little in the way of entertainment, unless hanging around governmental institutions is your sort of thing.

That is precisely why Sejong citizens were glad to hear that the Sejong National Arboretum was opening in January 2021. The arboretum is home to the largest greenhouse in Korea, covering 9,815 square meters (105,648 square feet).

The exterior design of the greenhouse is eye-catching, portraying the shape of an iris with three petals. An iris is the iconic plant of Sejong National Arboretum because Sejong is part of the central temperate zone, where the flower grows well.

The greenhouse is divided into two sections: The Mediterranean zone and the tropical greenhouse zone.

The Mediterranean zone displays rare plants such as the African Baobab which makes its famous appearance in the novel “The Little Prince,” and the white floss-silk tree with a stem that resembles a jar.

A garden designed to look like the Alhambra of Spain stands elegantly, ushering the visitors in. The tropical greenhouse keeps its temperature at 30 degrees Celsius and its humidity at 70 percent. The Indonesian Devil tree captures the eyes of those passing by.

@sjnagreen136 Sumogwon-ro, Yeongi-myeon, Sejong CityBusiness hours: March to October, 9:00 a.m. – 6 p.m., November to February, 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Closed every Monday, January 1, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holiday. Tickets sold until one hour before closing time.)Admission fee: 5,000 won for adults, 4000 won for teenagers (ages 13-18) and 3,000 won for children (ages 7-12)Group visit (20 or more) receives 1,000 won discountPhone number: 044) 251-0001 Website: https://www.sjna.or.kr/main/main.do

National Institute of Ecology

Foxes rest in their den at the National Institute of Ecology. [NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY]

The National Institute of Ecology in South Chungcheong focuses on ecology research more than any other arboretums or botanic gardens. It offers diverse exhibitions and allows visitors to see many animals, so many take their family trips here.

Ecorium, an indoor exhibit hall, consists of five biome halls, which are each named Tropical, Desert, Mediterranean, Temperate and Polar Biome.

The Tropical Biome hall has amazon freshwater fish, aldabra giant tortoise and many more. The Desert Biome reminds visitors of Africa and the western regions of the United States. There are around 300 species of cacti and succulent plants as well as fennec foxes and black-tailed prairie dogs. You can witness the Antarctic and the Arctic ecosystems at the Polar Biome, where penguins can be spotted.

@nie_korea1210, Geumgang-ro, Maseo-myeon, Seocheon County, South ChungcheongBusiness hours: March to October, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., November to February, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Closed every Monday. Tickets sold until one hour before closing time.)Admission fee: 5,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for teenagers (ages 13-18) and 2,000 won for children (ages 5-12)Group visit (20 or more) receives 1,000 won discountPhone number: 041) 950-5300 Website: https://www.nie.re.kr

Geoje Botanic Garden

The Geoje Jungle Dome is shaped like a dinosaur egg. [GEOJE BOTANIC GARDEN]

Geoje Botanic Garden, open from January 2020, is known for its supersized greenhouse Geoje Jungle Dome. There are other large greenhouses such as Sejong National Arboretum and Seoul Botanic Park, but when it comes to the size of an individual greenhouse, Geoje Jungle Dome is the single largest greenhouse in the country. The greenhouse is 4,468 square meters, and its ceiling is also the highest among greenhouses in Korea.

Incorporating a design that avoided installing any pillars, 7,500 pieces of glass were connected together to build a 30-meter-tall [98-feet-tall] ceiling. From afar, the dome reminds one of a dinosaur egg. It also offers a special experience, considering you can spot multiple artificial rocks here. Once you view the plants growing alongside the long rock columns, the image of the Chinese Zhangjiajie landscape may come to mind. There are numerous photo zones along the way, out of which the observatory deck, the waterfall and the bird nest models are the most popular.

3595 Geojenamseo-ro Geoje-myeon, Geoje, South GyeongsangBusiness hours: Geoje Jungle Dome: March to October, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., November to February, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Other exhibit halls: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Closed every Monday, January 1, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holiday. Tickets sold until one hour before closing time.)Admission fee: 5,000 won for adults, 4,000 won for teenagers (ages 13-18) and 3,000 won for children (ages 7-12)Group visit receives 1,000 won discountPhone number: 055) 639-6997 Website: https://www.geoje.go.kr/gbg/index.geoje

BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]