Buyeo was once Sabi, the last capital of the kingdom of Baekje, which flourished on the south-west of the Korean peninsula until it fell to Silla and Tang China in 660. The kingdom's kings moved here in 538, built a walled city beside the Geumgang river and made it a centre of Buddhism, craftsmanship and trade, sending monks and artisans to Japan, where Baekje taught the court the arts of temple building. At the site in Gwanbuk-ri, archaeologists have found the foundations of a palace and workshops, and near it the fortress of Busosanseong runs along the ridge above the river.
Busosan is the place to get a sense of the setting. The fortress wall winds along the hill, and a path climbs through pine woods to Nakhwaam, the Rock of Falling Flowers, a high cliff above the river where, according to legend, three thousand court ladies threw themselves to their deaths rather than be captured when the city fell. Whether the story is accurate or an invention of later centuries, the cliff is dramatic. Baekje's finest relic, a bronze incense burner with exquisite dragons and mountains, was found in a temple site not far off, and it is now in the national museum in Buyeo.
The riding here is mellow. The Geumgang river valley is wide and flat, with rice paddies, greenhouses growing melons, and low wooded hills, and roads follow the water for long straight stretches. A gentle climb to the fortress offers views of the river bends, and the old riverside road is pleasant at a slow pace. In the lotus season of July and August the ponds at Gungnamji are in flower. Winter is cold and dry, and in summer the monsoon can drench the valley.
Buyeo is a town of some thirty-two thousand, with petrol and restaurants close by. Try the local speciality, which is roasted rice and sweet lotus tea. Baekje's historic areas joined the UNESCO list in 2015. The best seasons are April for the blossom and October for clear air and gold light.