KOREASEOUL CAPITAL AREAThe seat of Gyeonggi province, its old centre ringed by the Hwaseong fortress King Jeongjo raised in the late 18th century. The subway from Seoul takes just over an hour, which makes it a common day trip. Spring and autumn suit the walls, and many come for the ribs and fried chicken too.
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SPAINANDALUSIAIn the tenth century it ranked among the largest cities in western Europe, then barely grew for eight hundred years and kept its old lanes and channels. Summer afternoons run as hot as anywhere on the Spanish mainland, so July and August are best avoided. In May households open their courtyards.
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SWITZERLANDBASEL-STADTSet where the Rhine swings north, it touches both France and Germany, and a few tram stops take you across a border. Old art collections and drug companies keep the city going together. Summer means swimming in the river, and in February or March a three-day carnival takes over the streets.
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