This relatively short 50km course, which gains about 1,100m of elevation, offers plenty of the two things all cyclists love—beauty and pain. Jungnyeong, a mountain pass that goes through Sobaeksan National Park, is one of Korea’s must-ride road cycling climbs and one of the highlights of cycling in the Danyang area. At 9km long with an average gradient of just 6%, it is a climb that begs to be ridden. Rising up through the foothills, which are home to a handful of quaint, small farms, the climb then heads into forest. The road is wide and smooth, twisting and turning to the peak where you are met by a a traditional Korean pavilion that offers a magnificent view looking south toward Yeongju.

While Jungnyeong is a fairly long climb, it isn’t the part of this course that presents the greatest challenge. The biggest challenge comes with the smaller back-to-back climbs out of or back to Danyang. Whetehr you tackle them before or after Jungnyeong, Janghyeonjae and Nodongjae are vicious little beasts, each between 2km and 2.5km long with average gradients hovering around 10%. If you want to take it a bit easier, you can stop off for a bite to eat and some bad coffee at a local ‘mart’ in the tiny village of Daegang-myeon that lies between Jungnyeong and the two other two hills.

Heading northwest out of Danyang on this 45km route you are immediately greeted by the immaculate Gosojae, a small climb that overlooks Danyang from its southern slope and a beautiful river valley to the north, through which a myriad of paragliders float through the air from the mountains above. From here, it is a fast, flat 15km to Bobaljae as the road traces the riverside and makes two small bridge crossings that offer beautiful green and blue of the river and the surrounding forest-covered mountains.

Turning off toward the Ondal Recreation Area, home to limestone caves and an ancient fortress, the road begins to climb Bobaljae toward Guinsa, one of Korea's most spectacular temples. Guinsa can’t be reached by bicycle but it is possible to drop your bike off at the car park and take the shuttle up to the sprawling temple complex nestled between two mountain peaks.

From just past the Guinsa car park, Bobaljae heads uphill for about 2.5km at a 10% average. While never easy, this climb is always worth the effort to enjoy the view from the platform at the top, which reveals a serpentine road below. The 7km descent through a pristine mountain valley tracing a small mountain stream is worth the effort too. In hot and humid weather, the stream offers some refreshment. Hop over the guardrail, sit on the moss-covered stones and soak your legs in the cool mountain water before one more go of Gosojae, then dropping back down into Danyang.

This area offers some truly incredible scenery along rolling hills that trace the lakeside. Most cyclists stick to the southern side of the lakes, but on the north side of Cheongpung-ho is some of the best gravel riding in the country. And like all the roads that trace Cheongpung-ho, this gravel section rolls up and down along the hillsides offering gorgeous views of the lakes below.

The course from Danyang is just over 100km and doesn’t include any big climbs, but the route still gains 1,700m of elevation. There are virtually no flat sections, just constant ups and downs over small rolling hills. If you are willing to put in a little extra distance, you can cross over Cheongpung Bridge into Cheongpung-myeon, a small town with plenty of food and coffee stops. Visit in April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom; and you’ll be greeted by lurid pink and white trees and roadways littered with fallen flower petals.

Perhaps the most famous place in Danyang for cyclists is Iggi Tunnel, a short stretch of road that passes between tall, angled moss-covered cement walls into which people scratch their names and messages of love. During summer the mosses turn a deep green and vibrant leafy tree branches stretch out over the road giving the illusion of being inside a kind of tunnel. In the height of summer, the light itself takes on an almost greenish hue making it one of the most famous photo spots for Korean cyclists.

While Iggi Tunnel is a lovely spectacle, the roads to the south are where the good riding is. Turning south you’ll cross over Jeokseong Bridge into Dansung, a tiny little village where you can stop off for a sit-down on one of the several small riverside pavilions or at the quaintest countryside bus stop in all of Korea painted with a mural depiting the local habitat. Here you can grab an unexpectedly decent coffee and entirely average pastry at the village’s one cafe in order to energy-up for Jeosuryeong, a challenging climb that doesn’t get nearly as much respect as it deserves.

Jeosuryeong might not be the most beautiful climb but it is among the biggest in the area. The start of the climb is 1km at 10-13% before it eases off and rises at 5-8% for the final 7km. All along it is dotted with small farms and villages and a couple of roadside apiaries, so in summer be prepared for bees. At the peak is a small rest area and a derelict fuel station that was abandoned long ago. The descent back toward Danyang is something to behold. Halfway down is the village of Olsan, a small mountainside farming community and turning left here takes you toward Daeheungsa Temple through a pristine river valley. Stop off to walk through the temple grounds if you wish, otherwise just enjoy the fast road lined with cherry trees.

The Four Hills course south of Danyang not only includes what might be the single greatest stretch of road in all of Korea, but it also includes four short climbs that are perfectly representative of so many Korean climbs—short and brutally steep.

From just outside Dansung the road heading south on Seonam-gaegok-ro weaves its way through a river gorge along immaculate tarmac. This is the kind of road that will make some cyclists shout with glee. The beauty of the surroundings almost requires you to take it slowly yet the road itself begs for speed. And best of all is that it is almost always empty. In fact, it’s only been ridden by 650 Strava athletes in total. It really is a hidden treasure.

Out of the gorge, the climbing comes steep and thick with four climbs in succession. First comes Beoljae, 2.3km at 9% with pitches as steep as 12%. Then comes Sunghwangdangjae, a slightly undulating 7km at a 5% average with several 10% ramps, all leading back to Beoljae’s southern slope—2.5km at 10%. And finally there is Jikchi, a mean 2.6km at a 9% average, again with ramps hitting as high as 12%. If this sounds like misery, that’s because it is. The entire 74km course gains almost 1,600m of elevation gain, with 1,100m coming from these four hills in just 28km of distance.

This course provides all the best that cycling has to offer: enjoyment, beauty, undeniable suffering, and an easy finish. We might say it’s kind of perfect.