Address: 대구 달성군 옥포읍 기세리 306
Click for Address in Naver Maps
Click for Address in Kakao Maps
I’ve been to Songhae Park several times while living in Daegu, it makes for an excellent walk around the resevoir whatever the season! However I recently found out that Songhae Park now has a special ice wall feature during the winter seasons, and they also opened a mini cave you can walk through with several photo zones. Of course this meant going back for another visit to check these out! As winter is nearly over I would advise going asap if you want to check out the ice wall as I’m not sure how much longer it will last in the gradually warming weather. If you miss the wall don’t worry though, as Songhye is beautiful in the spring with fields of flowers so still worth the visit! Read on to see more about the ice wall and cave~
Before I get into details about the park I just want to mention how to get there, because if (like me) you don’t have a car travel can be a bit more difficult. However, it is possible by public transport if you have a bit of patience. I think the best way to get there is taking the red line subway (line 1) to the last stop at Seolhwa-Myeonggok Station. Here you can transfer to the bus. The Dalesong2 will take you right next to the park but is not very regular so you might be waiting a while. You can also take the 655, 606, or 623, which all stop at Myeonggongni 1 which is about an 18 minute walk to the park. We did this on the way there and waited for the Dalesong2 on the way back, but we were waiting around 40 mins. We did also see several taxis pass so it looks like that is also an option. Basically plan for a lot of walking or waiting around, or budget for a taxi if you prefer less walking and waiting. You could probably do Kakao Taxi too though I haven’t tried this option.
Once you arrive you will see the dam and a pathway leading up to a bridge on the right hand side. If you go in winter time this is where you can see the ice wall too! I went in mid February and there was still plenty of ice, but large pieces were breaking off in the warm weather. It was pretty dramatic though watching big chunks break off and smash below. We were also kinda disappointed that it seems the ice is artificial, they had water sprays at the top of the cliff spraying mist onto the ice below. So just a warning if that might put you off going for some reason??? Some of my friends were a bit upset by it so thought I’d mention.
It’s a great spot for pictures though! We got some nice shots in front of the ice before starting the walk. When you’re ready go up the stairs and cross the bridge and this will lead you on a path around the resevoir. I think including lots of photo stops and the cave it takes an hour or two. It is not very accessible though so not suitable for prams or wheelchairs, sadly. There are some bridges and stairs which would make the going more difficult for some.
The walk around the resevoir is nice in itself too. The views are nice and you’ll come across random speakers playing music I beleive by the man whom the park was named after. There’s some good spots where you can sit and enjoy the view with some jaunty music.
Once you get towards the end of the walk there is a kind of larger platform with some sculptures on. You want to take a right here to visit the cave. The walk is a bit steeper in this area with more steps. Where the path forks you can take the left up the hill or the right up the stairs, both lead to the cave but we went up the hill so we could walk down the stairs when we came out.
The cave has hard hats provided outside, we were the only ones wearing them but I thought they were pretty cute haha. Inside the cave there is a light tunnel and other cute little photo zones. Sadly not very informative about the cave itself (at least not from what I could see) but it’s a nice little spot to get some cute photos for Insta!
When we came out the cave we kept walking around the resevoir to the bridge over the lake. There is a little rest area in the middle with vending machines that have drinks and ice creams, you can also go to the second floor to see the view. There’s also a little park at the end with a big functionaing water wheel and some other cute spots for photos.
After we finished we went across the street to Twosome Place for a spot of cake and coffee before waiting a very long time (see above) for the bus home. All in all it’s a fun little day trip and while better accessed with a car still possible to do by public transport. Please let me know if you visit and how you found the park!
Dig In Daegu 