Anthropology goes modern

Noteworthy for: According to tradition, each French President leaves behind a building as his legacy, and Quai Branly is the initiative of Jacques Chirac.

Talk of the town: Its expense made its opening controversial in the eyes of the French public.

With 300,000 artifacts from across the globe, this ethnographic museum has quite a collection. Designed by architect Jean Nouvel, it looks spectacular sitting on the banks of the Seine close to the Eiffel Tower, with a 2,600 square foot façade covered in vegetation. Hardly surprising, as it took a decade to launch and cost USD 265 million.

The collection focuses on non-western cultures with treasures ranging from a 19th century feathered Hawaiian headdress to a two metre-high Senegalese megalith from 750AD. It also hosts fascinating temporary exhibitions.