Every now and then, a fairy tale seems to come true. In a mystic mountain valley two hours east of the South Korean capital Seoul, Gangwon Province, which will host the 2018 Winter Olympics, has created Alpensia, by far and away the most elegant year-round recreational and cultural resort in the country.

With a 1,000 hotel rooms, three golf courses, kilometers of hiking trails, first-class fishing, tennis, skiing in winter and a summer music festival in an ultra-modern concert hall, Alpensia and the nearby Olympic host city of Pyeongchang are attracting visitors from around the world. www.alpensiaresort.co.kr Offering a pristine environment at an elevation of 700 meters, Alpensia is ideally located for an exploration of some of Korea`s most intriguing heritage sites and for sampling the country`s culinary arts. http://en.ganwon.to

Visitors to Alpensia may relax in first-class comfort at the resorts 238-room Intercontinental Hotel. For the budget-minded, a Holiday Inn offers another 750 rooms.

Getting to Alpensia by car is easy on sweeping expressways that cross-cross the region. Charter buses from Seoul`s international airport Incheon carry groups to the resort in less than three hours. http://en.ganwon.to

More information on accomodation in PyeongChang will be updated soon.