Bessho Onsen

Nagano's oldest hot spring town has been drawing visitors for over a thousand years, first as a retreat for aristocrats and monks. Three wooden public bathhouses still operate with low entry fees and alkaline mineral water known locally as the Beauty Hot Springs. The surroundings hold real cultural weight too: Anraku-ji Temple's octagonal three-story pagoda is a National Treasure, and the Zen temple Jorakuji anchors another corner of the compact town. Arrive via the Bessho Line from Ueda, a charming local railway that adds a pleasantly unhurried quality to the journey before you even step in the water.