Bizarre fun on the slopes

Russians now take skiing vacations in North Korea

North Korea's only ski resort in Masik-Ryong in the south-east of the country.(Bild: AFP)

For a long time, North Korea was not open to tourists - but since February, the isolated dictatorship has been allowing vacationers back into the country. The first visitors to take advantage of this opportunity were around 100 Russians. The group came to ski in the East Asian country - and now reports on what to expect from such a bumpy trip.

When you think of powder snow and fun on the slopes, North Korea is unlikely to spring to mind. But dozens of Russians decided to visit the exotic vacation destination in February. After all, holidaymakers don't have many opportunities to travel abroad due to the sanctions imposed because of the Russian war of aggression.

Impressions from the ski resort:

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Fotos

Flight with the worst airline in the world
A little adventure awaited the holidaymakers right at the start: the North Korean state airline Air Koryo was expected of the hobby winter sports enthusiasts. It is an airline of superlatives - it was named the worst in the world by the consumer organization Skytrax. The airplanes are said to be museum-worthy and are not even allowed to land at most airports in the EU. 

"Like a journey into the past"
The Russian tourists paid a lot for their vacation: they are said to have forked out 750 dollars for three days of skiing and a sightseeing tour. This price included a personal chaperone to keep an eye on the vacationers. Individual travel is not permitted - you can only visit the country in tour groups. "It's like traveling back in time. There is absolutely no advertising in the city. The only things you see are party slogans, flags and so on," the CNN channel quotes a travel blogger as saying.

Pictures of the Russian tourists after their arrival at the airport in the capital Pyongyang: 

(Bild: Associated Press)

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AFP)

Vacation with lots of rules
The most beautiful sights were also part of the program. These included the bronze statues of the deceased leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, Mansu Hill and the Mangyongdae Student Palace. However, the vacationers had to adhere to strict rules: "We were asked not to photograph the military or people in uniform in general. The construction sites and buildings under construction were also taboo," said one of the travelers. They were also instructed on how to deal with portraits or sculptures of the North Korean dictators. "If you have a newspaper or magazine with a picture of the leader, you are not allowed to fold the newspaper in such a way that the portrait crumples."

Newspapers were among the favorite souvenirs from North Korea. Although there wasn't much to buy, vacationers were able to pick up magnets, dolls, Lego sets and other small gifts in two stores. 

During the coronavirus pandemic, the already isolated country was completely closed to tourism. This restriction was only recently lifted.