Huế

The capital of the nation in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Huế is perhaps the easiest Vietnamese city to love and spend time in. Its situation on the banks of the Perfume River is sublime, its complex cuisine is justifiably famous, and its streets are relatively traffic-free. And that’s without mentioning the majesty of the Imperial City, a citadel within a citadel, housing the emperor’s residence, temples and palaces, and the main buildings of state, within six-meter-high, 2.5km-long walls. Explore the city’s fringes to find some of Vietnam’s most impressive pagodas and royal tombs, many in wonderful natural settings.