Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon, but it feels more like a lake-and-mountain escape from Seoul than an administrative centre. The city sits in a basin where rivers and reservoirs wrap around low ridges, giving it a softer pace than the capital only an hour or so away by train.
Food is half the reason to come. Chuncheon is the home ground of dakgalbi, spicy stir-fried chicken cooked at the table with cabbage, rice cakes and gochujang, and of makguksu, cool buckwheat noodles with a clean mountain-country bite. Myeongdong Dakgalbi Street is touristy, but it is touristy for a reason.
The sights are spread out, so pick a rhythm rather than trying to cover everything. Stay central for the Soyanggang Skywalk, Chuncheon National Museum, and food streets, or make a longer day of Cheongpyeongsa and the lake country beyond the city.