Andong travel info

Andong is the city where Korea's Confucian past is thickest on the ground. At Hahoe Village, the Nakdong River loops around tile-roofed houses and thatched cottages that people still live in, and the village became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Dosan and Byeongsan seowon, the old scholars' academies, are part of the same listing, and Geukrakjeon Hall at Bongjeongsa is said to be the oldest wooden building in Korea. The catch is that the sights don't sit in one spot; they're scattered along country roads.

The town itself is small. In the jjimdak alley by the old market, pots of chicken and glass noodles braised in soy sauce go out to every table, and the market nearby grills salted mackerel. Walk across Wolyeonggyo bridge below Andong Dam, then eat a heotjesabap tray, and the day is gone. In autumn the International Mask Dance Festival fills a city plaza and Hahoe Village with performances.

From Cheongnyangni it takes under two hours on the KTX-Eum. One thing to know: the current Andong Station and the bus terminal sit together in Songhyeon-dong, not in the centre, so buses or taxis take over from there into town or out to Hahoe. A car makes the day much easier.

From Seoul (KTX)

From Daegu (BUS)

From Busan (BUS)