Kaesong

Kaesong, in the south of North Korea near the DMZ, is one of the country's most historic cities, having served as the capital of the Koryo dynasty from the tenth to fourteenth centuries, the dynasty from which the name Korea derives. Unusually well preserved, it holds a rare concentration of pre-modern Korean heritage: old city gates, the Confucian Songgyungwan academy, historic bridges and stone monuments, and the royal tombs of the Koryo kings scattered in the surrounding hills, together inscribed by UNESCO as the Historic Monuments and Sites of Kaesong. It offers a genuine and dignified glimpse of Korea's deep past.

What you actually see

• The Koryo royal tombs - the historic tombs of the Koryo kings.
• The Songgyungwan academy - the old Confucian academy and museum.
• The city gates - the surviving historic gates and bridges.
• The old quarter - the rare pre-modern Korean streetscape.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the mildest and loveliest months to explore Kaesong's old quarter and the royal tombs in the surrounding hills; the city is usually combined with a visit to the nearby DMZ on an organised tour. Spring and autumn light suit its historic setting best.

Honest expectations

Kaesong is visited as part of a guided programme, so exploration follows a set itinerary, and some of the historic interiors have seen restoration. As a genuinely historic city and one of the few places to glimpse Korea's ancient Koryo heritage and UNESCO-listed royal tombs, though, Kaesong is a rewarding and dignified highlight.

Nearby

The DMZ at Panmunjom lies close by and is usually visited together.