Lovers of Antoine de Saint Exupery’s famous novel, Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince), should definitely include Petite France in their must-visit list when visiting Korea. I have read this novel way back in high school. And though it was labelled as a children’s book, the morals of this exemplary novel can touch both the kids and those young at heart. I was happy that it was the very first site I visited when in Korea last autumn. It made my heart happy knowing that I was able to ‘meet’ my Little Prince. 🙂
Petite France is in the Gapyeong County and can be reached by subway and a bus ride between two to three hours. Having your own vehicle is more convenient and travel from Seoul City will be faster. When my friend and I visited, we got stuck in the subway for about four hours but good thing our Korean friend met us and drove us to this place. If not, I think we would have missed visiting this. I will regret it very much if we skipped it since I have been imagining myself here since the time I decided I will go to Seoul last year.
Ticket price was at KRW 8000 or roughly PHp 380 per person. My friends and I arrived here late in the afternoon so we didn’t have much time to truly explore the grounds but it was more than enough time for me to fall in love with the place. I was grinning from ear to ear as I saw so many Little Princes! 😀 There was even a puppet show that we failed to attend to because it was already getting dark and we were still aiming to visit at least one more site before calling it a day.
The gift shoppe was a haven for me because there were so many Little Prince trinkets! From key chains, to bookmarks, to coffee mugs and fancy jewelry. I wanted to buy them all but I settled on a folder and a small notebook instead. When I go back here I will buy that lovely bookmark I longingly wanted to own. It was kinda expensive and I didn’t have much money with me. 🙁
For me, Petite France resembles a quaint countryside French town. Built on the side of a hill, one can view the nearby river by climbing on the rooftops of its many colorful houses. Watching the sunset was also a recommended activity if you’re coming in late. It was kind of hypnotizing seeing how the sun was slowly beckoned by the still waters. Little Prince greatly reminds me of a someone special who never failed to remind me that we should never forget how to be a child. 🙂
One can reach Petite France via the subway station and alighting at Gapyeong Station. From here, hop on the tour bus (hop-on, hop-off) which also goes around the other tourist spots. Fare is at KRW 6000. There’s a schedule posted at the waiting shed near the tourist information center. Do take note of the time of the last trip. I will be writing in detail about touring Gapyeong Country in a future post.
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How to Apply for a Korean Tourist Visa
Admission Fees
Adults: 8,000 won
Teenagers (Middle & High School Students): 6,000 won
Children (ages 3-Elementary School Students): 5,000 won
Seniors (ages 65 & above) / People with Disabilities: 6,000 won (proof of identification required)
Disclaimer: Information above may change from date of posting. Please research on the following before your visit.
