Would be great to grab a portable mini-fan and a bottle of water if you're visiting in summer! The castle territory is mostly outdoors so it's going to be hot.

BUS, SUBWAY

I was walking around Andong and stumbled upon the gates of Unhyeongung. I saw that there was no entrance fee and went right in. It was a beautiful garden-like territory, and, even though I couldn't actually enter any of the rooms, they were open for up-close view and it was fun to peek into them. Unhyeongung used to be a royal residence and its building dates back to the 14th century! Even though many of the buildings were destroyed throughout the history, some original, early ones still remain at the site. When searching for information about this palace I found out that Unhyeongung is also now the site of the reenactment of the King Gojong and Empress Myeongseong's wedding that took place on the grounds of Unhyeongung on March 21, 1866 (Joseon Dynasty). I've read that this reenactment takes place in the spring and autumn of every year, but, since I visited the palace in summer, I did not get to watch it. You can actually see mannequins dressed in traditional wedding clothes, as well! I also liked that this palace clearly demonstrates two famous Korean house-temperature keeping techniques: ondol (heated floor) and maru (cooling down the rooms by opening all doors and letting wind in). Go take a look if you're interested in learning more about them! Overall, I definitely recommend visiting this place. It's located in a pretty area, and it's free to visit, so why wouldn't one do that? ;)