Gyeongsangbuk-do
This delightful traditional riverside village – a Unesco World Heritage site – is a place to commune with the traditional fabric of old Korea and, in the…
Must-see attractions in Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongju
The huge, walled park has 23 tombs of Silla monarchs and family members. From the outside, they resemble substantial grassy hillocks that echo the…
Gyeongju
Near the main shopping area is the Noseo-dong district, where you'll find Silla tombs. Seobongchong and Geumgwanchong are adjacent tombs built between the…
Daegu
An icon and motif of Daegu, this lovely cruciform church is quite a sight, with its twin spires. Originally constructed in wood, the first incarnation…
Daegu
This red brick structure is one of the city's historic churches. Within the church is a fascinating history of the building and a collection of Bibles and…
Daegu
This excellent museum has English labelling throughout most of its collection – and what a collection. Armour, jewellery, Buddhist relics from various…
Gyeongju
Sprouting huge trees of vast girth, this is the largest extant Silla tomb – 22m high, with a 250m circumference. It's quite a picture at any time put…
Gyeongju
On a series of stone terraces about 16km southeast of Gyeongju, set among gnarled pines and iris gardens, this historic temple is the crowning glory of…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Holding 81,258 woodblock scriptures, making it one of the largest Buddhist libraries of its kind, this Unesco World Heritage–listed temple should be on…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Just east of town along the railway line, you will come to this beauty – the oldest and largest brick pagoda in Korea. At almost 17m in height, the pagoda…
Gyeongju
Close to the summit of the thickly forested Obong-san (640m), Bokdu-am features a huge rock face out of which 19 niches have been carved. The three…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Beautifully situated among the Baekdu mountains, this 106-sq-km national park is most notable for its sublime limestone pinnacles, verdant valleys,…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
You’ll need a full day to explore the offerings in and around this temple about 30km north of Pohang. Bogyeong-sa is a gateway to a beautiful valley…
Gyeongju
In the mountains above Bulguk-sa is this world-famous Unesco-listed Buddhist grotto, a magical place when rain and mists envelop the mountaintops and…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Jikji-sa is a postcard-pretty temple in a wonderfully quiet mountain forest setting. The delicate paintings on the temple buildings have an appealing…
Gyeongju
Arguably the best history museum in Korea, the Gyeongju National Museum is where you can appreciate the significance of this ancient city in one fell…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
On a hillside east of town and on the far side of Weolyeonggyo Bridge, Andong Folk Village is a repository for traditional homes moved to prevent them…
Gyeongju
This is a very popular spot for couples to take pre-wedding photos, especially from June to early August when magnificent lotus blossoms seem to fill the…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Established in 1572 in honour of Yi Eon-jeok (1491–1553), Oksan Seowon was one of the most important seowon, or Confucian academies. Enlarged in 1772, it…
Gyeongju
Finally, a temple where you can do more than just look around. The Buddha carved out of solid rock by Indian monks in the 6th century is fairly…
Gyeongju
Southeast of Tumuli-gongwon in the attractive sprawl of Wolseong-gongwon is the Far East’s oldest astrological observatory, constructed between AD 632 and…
Gyeongju
The ruins of this simply vast 6th century temple are a sad and desolate spectacle: once the nation's largest Buddhist temple, its standout feature was a…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
The body and robes of this Buddha are carved on a boulder over 12m high – on top of which are the head and hair, carved out of two separate pieces of rock…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
This Confucian seowon (서원; academy) from 1572 is set in leafy surrounds arranged with a typical sense of Confucian balance, with the main hall and…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
A 10-minute walk beyond Oksan Seowon up the valley road will bring you to Dongnakdang, a beautiful collection of well-preserved buildings, constructed in…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gatbawi is a medicinal Buddha shrine and national treasure, some 850m above sea level and said to date back to AD 638. This Buddha is famed for the flat…
Gyeongju
This large pagoda was built in the mid-7th century during Queen Seondeok’s reign, making it the oldest datable pagoda in Korea. It’s a rare example of one…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
The highlight of this park, a 350m climb above Dodong-ri, is the cable car across a steep valley to Manghyang-bong (316m). The ride up affords stunning…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
This sublime and hoary Confucian academy has a tranquil setting enveloped by mountains and perched over the river. The quiet, introspective halls are…
Gyeongju
A few minutes’ walk south through the trees from Cheomseongdae, Banwol-seong is the site of a once-fabled fortress. Now it’s attractive parkland, where…
Daegu’s Herbal Medicine Market
Daegu
This market, west of the central shopping district, has a history as vast as its scope. It dates from 1658, making it Korea’s oldest medicine market and…
Gyeongju
This small rocky island offshore is the legendary tomb of King Munmu (661-681), Silla king and unifier of the three kingdoms, who demanded he be laid to…
Daegu
In the north end of the city, Bullo-dong Tumuli-gongwon is an enormous open space covering some 330,000 sq metres. The grassy hillocks that rise like…
Daegu Hyanggyo Confucian School
Daegu
This tranquil Confucian School at the heart of Daegu is an oasis of introspective calm which dates to 1398 (though it was burned down by the Japanese and…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
There is a terrific view of the northern coastline from Hyangmok Lighthouse (향목 등대) in the northwest corner of the island, about 20km from Dodong-ri. To…
Yangnam Jusangjeolli Rock Forms
Gyeongju
These rare and intriguing rock forms in the sea on the coast east of Gyeongju are composed by an array of columnar rock joints (jusangjeolli: literally …
Gyeongsangbuk-do
A steep 1.5km walk from Jeodong-ri is Bongnae Pokpo. Source of the island’s drinking water, the waterfall is quite spectacular during summer.
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Hidden away in a small plot, next to a car park near the train station, is this brick Buddhist pagoda dating to the unified Silla period. It's a most…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
On the approach to the temple, this excellent museum showcases temple treasures like replicas of the scriptures, Buddhist art and other artefacts,…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
The longest pedestrian-only bridge in South Korea, this 387m-long partly wooden bridge spanning the Nakdong River is a good-looking crossing point to the…
