Busan

Busan trades Seoul's density for a different pace, built around the coastline rather than a palace-centred core, and reachable from the capital in under three hours by KTX high-speed train. Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside of small, brightly painted houses that once sheltered wartime refugees, has become one of Korea's most photographed neighbourhoods without losing the working-class character that shaped it.

Haeundae Beach anchors the city's summer season, while Jagalchi Market, Korea's largest seafood market, runs from before dawn with a trading energy that hasn't softened for the tourists who now wander through it. Haedong Yonggungsa, a temple built directly into coastal rock rather than the mountain settings most Korean temples favour, adds a striking, unusual religious site to a city more often visited for beaches and markets.

We walk Gamcheon's stepped alleys at the hour the light hits the coloured rooftops best, and arrange a Jagalchi Market visit with a local guide who can navigate the pre-dawn trading floor before the retail stalls open to visitors.

Busan is Korea's second city and its largest port, a place shaped by the sea and by the Korean War, when it was one of the few areas not captured by North Korean forces and became a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people. That history is visible in the hillside neighbourhoods, the markets and the city's frank, open character, which Koreans often contrast with the reserve of Seoul.

The coastline is the city's great asset. Haeundae is the best-known beach, lined with hotels and busy in summer; Gwangalli, further west, faces the illuminated Gwangan Bridge and has a lively evening scene. The Igidae coastal walk, a path along cliffs and rocky coves, has views across the water to the Oryukdo islets and the Haeundae skyline. Taejongdae, on Yeongdo island, offers cliffs, a lighthouse and forest trails.

Beomeosa, a mountain temple founded in the seventh century, lies in the hills north of the city and offers temple stays, where visitors can join monks for meditation and meals. The Busan Cinema Center hosts the Busan International Film Festival each October, the largest in Asia. The UN Memorial Cemetery, the only one of its kind in the world, honours soldiers from many countries who died in the Korean War.

Food is a major draw. Busan is known for its seafood, particularly raw fish, grilled eel and fish cakes. Dwaeji gukbap, a pork and rice soup, is the city's signature comfort food, and milmyeon, a cold wheat noodle dish created by refugees during the war, is a summer favourite. The BIFF Square area near Jagalchi is known for ssiat hotteok, a sweet pancake filled with seeds and nuts.

The best times to visit are spring, from April to early June, and autumn, from September to November, when temperatures are mild and skies are clear. Summer is hot and humid, with a rainy season in July and a chance of typhoons, but it is also beach season. Winter is cold but milder than in Seoul.

Getting around is easy. The metro covers most of the city, and buses and taxis fill in the gaps. Gimhae International Airport has flights to Japan, China and Southeast Asia, and the KTX to Seoul runs frequently. Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom, is under an hour away by train and makes an excellent addition.

Three days works well: the coastline and beaches on one, Jagalchi, Gamcheon and the old city on another, and Beomeosa or a day trip to Gyeongju on the third.