Kyoto Gosho

Although Kyoto held the imperial seat for more than a millennium, the ‘Old Imperial Palace’ that stands today served as an emperor’s residence for just 14 years (1855-69). Previous incarnations succumbed to fire, natural and intentional, but were rebuilt each time with the same medley of architectural styles. The palace sits in an 11-hectare walled compound, which is open to the public from 23th to 29th April and 12th to 16th November. The rest of the year, visitors can apply online for one of the twice-daily, hour-long English-language tours. It’s worth the effort: the gardens are magnificent, as is the Shishinden building, in which two of the last three emperors were enthroned.