National Museum of Cambodia

Conceived by French historian George Groslier and inaugurated by King Sisowath in 1920, this terracotta-red sanctuary stands as a masterpiece of traditional Khmer revival architecture. Its dramatic silhouette features soaring, multi-tiered gables and upturned *chofah* finials that punctuate the tropical skyline just north of the Royal Palace. Four airy, interconnected pavilions embrace an interior courtyard garden, where serene lotus basins, carved stone garudas, and blooming frangipani trees encircle a bronze-cast replica of the legendary 12th-century Leper King. Inside, visitors trade the motor-hum of Phnom Penh for breezy cloisters lined with terracotta tiles and high, dark-wood rafters housing a resident colony of free-tailed bats. The museum safeguards the definitive chronicle of Cambodian bronze and stone artistry, spanning the prehistoric, Funan, Chenla, and Angkorian eras. Standing in the sun-dappled galleries, travelers encounter breathtaking masterpieces up close, from the towering, eight-armed sixth-century Vishnu of Phnom Da to the kinetic, wrestling monkey-kings of Koh Ker. Most arresting of all is the meditative sandstone portrait bust of King Jayavarman VII, whose closed eyes, enigmatic smile, and serene countenance evoke the profound spiritual gravity of a golden empire preserved through centuries of turmoil.