By any measure, Seoul is a high-tech city, with glassy skyscrapers, glimmering lights, and video screens broadcasting fantastical visions from every angle, but ancient Korean traditions can still be found, if you know where to look. Those who wish to experience Korea as it once was should visit Seoul's Bukchon Hanok Village, a neighborhood of winding lanes, picturesque courtyards, and beautifully restored wooden homes called hanok. The area was founded in 1392 as an enclave for the aristocracy, and it soon became a center for arts and culture that carried great influence with successive dynasties. Today, visitors can stroll past more than 900 houses, some of which date back hundreds of years, to see what Seoul looked like before technology changed the cityscape forever. Take a walking tour and get a feel for hanok life, drop by the cultural center, or enjoy some food or a cup of tea at one of several Bukchon restaurants. The slow, deliberate lifestyle provides a refreshing counterbalance to the fast pace of 21st century Seoul. Starwood has three Seoul properties, including the chic W Seoul - Walkerhill.

[image via visitseoul.net]