4 Best Sights in Nampo-dong, Busan

Walking up this flight of 40 stairs is a symbolic act: the climber is reminded of the struggle of refugees displaced by the Korean War. During that time, the area was a transportation hub where refugees would gather to set up camp in makeshift housing and meet up with loved ones from whom they'd been separated after fleeing their hometowns. Today, the area pays tribute to this history with several statues.

Packed with street food vendors and shopping stalls draped in neon lights, this lively area is also the main venue for the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). It's sprinkled with first-run movie theaters and, like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, lined with handprints of the most famous Korean actors.

Originally a hillside shanty town, Gamcheon Cultural Village has blossomed into one of the city's premier tourist attractions. In 2009 the tiny houses and warren of alleys and staircases were given a radical makeover, transforming this former slum into a chromatic mishmash of diminutive residences, art spaces, cafes, and vivid murals. While the village is open year-round, please keep in mind that this is a place where real people live and work, so please exercise courtesy and never take photographs of people without their permission. 

Created in in 1913, Songdo was Busan's first official beach. Once a neglected, shabby piece of sand, in recent years the little cove has undergone a remarkable transformation, making it a terrific place to spend an afternoon or evening. While some sunbathe or swim during the furnace blast of the Korean summer, most head to Songdo to stroll along its glass-bottomed skywalk, or better yet, catch ride in the cable car that glides over the waves to the rugged splendor of nearby Amnam Park. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; fee parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming; walking.