Spring and Autumn are the two popular seasons to visit South Korea. However, if you’re visiting South Korea during summer, you get to enjoy other activities which are so-very-local here. Shopping is inevitably one of the must-do during summer. If you’re not so keen on spending money at the department stores, try chicken & beer picnic by the Han River, or travel out to other provinces with lush greeneries might be your thing.
Other than Jeju Island, Gangwon Province (강원도 Gangwon-do) is another popular destination where Koreans flock to during summer, as the general temperature is 6 degrees cooler compared to Seoul. One of the must-visit in Gangwon province would be Terra Rosa Cafe 테라로사 커피공장, where visitors can enjoy a “forest bath” together with quality coffee brews and perfectly baked goods!
Located right in the forest, this cafe is one of the biggest coffee brewers in Gangwon Province, with about 12 branches in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Busan and Jeju Island. It is also famed as one of the prettiest cafe in Gangwon Province. There’re indoor and terrace seating, a small bakery, a coffee roasting factory within the premise of the headquarter.
The cafe is extremely popular with the locals. It was a Monday afternoon with slight drizzling when I arrived and it was already packed with visitors. We decided to take the outdoor seat and ordered some coffee and cakes from the bakery. Since the cafe is located in the mountains the outdoor seats were quite cooling, it really lived up to the official Gangwon Tourism Organization’s campaign tagline: 6 degrees cooler during Summer.
My single origin Geisha Honduras El Puente (KRW 10,000) was a beautiful brew brimming with a floral scent, sweetness from ripe melon and some refreshing orange peel aftertaste. One of the more complex and interesting coffee profile I have ever tasted.
Like many other indie cafes in Seoul, Terra Rosa produce fresh bakeries to go with their coffee. One of the head-turners was Mr. Lemington, a chocolate cake originated from Australia. The moist chocolate cake is coated with shaved coconut, the sweetness from the dark chocolate matches so well with my Geisha coffee.
The artisan bread was fluffy and packed with cranberries and walnut. It was a very filling bread I must say, a great selection for sharing.
Writer’s Note: Terra Rosa Headquarter has moved to its current location in July 2017, which is right beside the old location. The new space is decorated with new bricks and surrounded by a chestnut forest. I’ve yet to visit this place ever since they moved, but below are some of the photos I’ve found online for your information. The cafe is *extremely* popular, so it might look slightly different due to the busy crowd. If you prefer a quieter coffee time, I would suggest visiting this place early in the morning on a weekday.
Contact Details:
강릉시 구정면 현천길 7
Operating Hours: 9am-9pm.
Directions:
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