Korea's Joseon kings chose their tombs the way they chose a capital, with a geomancer. A good site needed a mountain behind, water in front and a gentle forest around, and the royal tombs scattered across the countryside around Seoul follow that rule, which is why many of them feel like parks. Taereung is one of the best known, on the north-east side of the city, a burial ground for Queen Munjeong and her son King Myeongjong in the sixteenth century. The forty tombs of the dynasty were listed by UNESCO in 2009, and walking among them is a calm contrast to the city outside.
Each tomb follows the same plan. A red-painted spirit gate and a stone path lead up to a grassy mound, with stone figures of officials, horses and sheep standing guard, and a T-shaped shrine hall where rites were held. The mound sits in a round embankment under pine trees, and the light through the branches makes the place feel unhurried.
The other half of this ride is Namhansanseong, a mountain fortress south-east of Seoul where King Injo took refuge in the winter of 1636 and 1637 when the Qing army invaded. He held out for about six weeks before surrendering and bowing to the Manchu emperor, one of the more painful episodes in Korean history, and the walls still follow the ridge for several kilometres. The fortress was listed in 2014, and a walk along the wall at sunset gives long views over Seoul's suburbs.
For a rider this is an urban Korean day with a few bright spots. The traffic in Seoul and Guri is dense and fast, the tolls come from electronic passes, and the roads are in excellent condition. Guri has nearly two hundred thousand people and Namyangju ninety thousand, so fuel is no trouble anywhere, and roadside restaurants serve kimchi stew, grilled pork and cold noodles. The better riding lies on the hill roads around Namhansanseong and further east along the Han river, where bends are tight and views open over wooded valleys. Autumn is the best season, when the maples turn red and the air is dry. Winters are cold and icy, and summers are humid, with sudden storms in July.