Hanoi is a capital with a millennium-long history. The architecture includes some of the most known Vietnamese classic monuments, decaying but relatively intact examples of French colonial buildings, and a few communist monuments. Hanoi was actually not bombed until late in the war. The city is pleasant, with lakes, many trees, open boulevards, and much less pollution and noise than Saigon. As the pace of change there has been slower, traditions there are stronger. The old city has still its specialty trades, among its narrow streets, and there are several opportunities to see traditional arts performances.  Although the site had been inhabited before, Hanoi's development began when Emperor Ly Thai To moved the capital there in 1010. The One-pillar pagoda and the Temple of the Literature date from that period. Hanoi continued to serve as a capital until 1788, when the Le dynasty was overthrown, after which Emperor Gia Long moved the capital to Hue. From 1902 to 1953, Hanoi was the capital of French Indochina. While the Opera house and several villas have been restaured, most of the former French quarters have has the nostalgia of a fading postcard of colonial French architecture. The stained and aging painted walls have a lot of character. After 1954, Hanoi became the capital of North Vietnam, and following the 1975 events it became the capital of the unified country. You can still see there one of the only remaining Lenin statues in the world. The visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is interesting. Some find the atmosphere eerily authoritarian and sanitized, while for others it is an emotional moment.
   
 

Ninh Binh is a small town about 100km south of Hanoi, which is surrounded by a number of lesser known interesting sites. Hoa Lu was the first capital of the independent Vietnam, under the Dinh dynasty and the early Le Dynasty (968-1009). There are two sanctuaries, each of them devoted to the emperors of one of these two dynasties. They are set into a landscape of limestone mountains reminiscent of some the better known sites of South China. In Tam Coc, you can take a boat tour on a river which tunnels several times into the same type of mountains. The river is actually used by local villagers to access their rice fields. The nearby Ken Ga canal provides the opportunity to observe river life in the North, and contrast it with what you can see in the Mekong Delta. The whole area was an important center of catholicism, and you will be surprised to see churches among the rice fields. Phat Diem has a vast cathedral which has a unique Sino-Vietnamese architecture.    
 

Dong hoi is a working fishing port that is the first major town coming from the South. There are very few tourists in the town, which is a good base for exploring Phong-Nha cave, 55km north-west, as a day trip.