Quiet temples, sublime gardens, colorful shrines, and geisha scurrying to secret liaisons.

While the rest of Japan has adopted modernity with abandon, the old ways are hanging on in Kyoto.

There are said to be over 1,000 Buddhist temples in Kyoto.

You'll find true masterpieces of religious architecture.

Few cities of this size offer such a range of excellent restaurants.

Best of all, many of Kyoto's restaurants are in traditional wooden buildings.

This sprawling Shinto shrine is arguably Japan's most arresting visual spectacle.

Be prepared to be utterly mesmerized.

It's quite unlike anything else on Earth.

Kyoto's traditional entertainment district is the best place in the city to catch a glimpse of old Japan.

Gion contains some of the most picturesque lanes in Kyoto, including Shinbashi, which may be the single most attractive street in all of Asia.

Western Kyoto is home to one of the most magical places in all of Japan, the famed Bamboo Grove in Arashiyama.

The visual effect of the seemingly infinite stalks of bamboo is quite different from any forest we've ever encountered.

Home to the Imperial Palace, this vast swathe of green in the city center is a true sanctuary.

The Kyoto Imperial Palace Park is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon.

The variety of trees here is amazing.

The gold-plated main hall of this immensely popular temple in northwest Kyoto is one of the most impressive sites in all of the city, especially if your tastes run to the grand and gaudy.

Kyoto is crowded from late March to early April when the cherry trees blossom, and in November when the autumn leaves attract people from far and wide.

Travel costs in Kyoto can range from less than 10,000 yen a day if you enjoy guesthouse accommodation and simple meals, to over 20,000 yen a day for a first-class hotel and top cuisine.

Kyoto is a compact city with an excellent public transport system.

It's also a walker's paradise.

Kyoto is rich, deep, and incredibly livable.

The city is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the hiking is excellent.

It's also one of the most bike-friendly cities on Earth.

It's just the right size, not too big and not too small.