This stunning limestone cave is a rabbit’s warren of metal catwalks and spiral staircases running through 1.7km of dense, narrow grottoes. It’s quite an intimate experience where you get up close with the rock formations. Unlike garishly lit caves, Gosu Donggul feels old and drippy – perhaps not as old as its 150,000 years, but it’s certainly authentic.
There are few explanatory signs, except for a few earnest exhortations to, ‘for a moment, look back please!’. Walkways are narrow – definitely not for the claustrophobic.
The cave is about a 15-minute walk from Danyang. Cross the bridge to the tourist information centre and follow the road to the right to a busy tourist village. The cave entrance is tucked away up a stone staircase behind the village. At the village you can refresh yourself with a cup (or jar) of local flavours such as omija (five-flavour berry), honey (꿀; kkul ) or yam (마; ma ) drinks.
