The nearest town is Gyeongju itself, a city of about a hundred and fifty thousand with fuel stations, noodle shops and a reputation as a museum without walls.
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and its capital grew rich on gold, Silk Road trade and the Buddhist faith. The evidence is all around. Huge grass-covered royal burial mounds rise right in the middle of the town at Daereungwon, and from the roadside they look like green soft hills. Cheomseongdae, an observatory tower dating from the seventh century, stands in a field of cosmos flowers. On the slopes of Mount Toham above the city, Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto, with its serene stone Buddha facing the dawn over the East Sea, are some of the finest Buddhist works in Asia.
The riding is better than you might guess. A road climbs through pines to the temples, with lazy bends and cool air, and east of the city you drop to the coast near Gampo, where a rocky shoreline holds the offshore resting place of King Munmu, who vowed to guard Korea as a dragon after his death. Expect speed cameras, which are numerous and enforced in South Korea, and bus drivers who rule the road.
Food is a pleasure. Gyeongju is known for hwangnam-ppang, small round pastries filled with sweet red bean paste, and for ssambap, rice served with a spread of vegetable side dishes. Try them in the old market streets.
April, when cherry blossoms line the roads around Bomun Lake, and October, when the ginkgo leaves turn the colour of old gold, are the best times. Summer is hot and humid, and winter brings sharp, dry cold with clear light.