From a desert monument in Oman with a soaring spike to a colourful waterside pavilion in Japan to a grand museum in Egypt featuring 100,000 pharaonic artefacts, each of these buildings deserves to be on your must-visit list.

Announced annually at UNESCO in Paris and celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year, the Prix Versailles honours architectural excellence in a variety of cultural venues. Including World’s Most Beautiful Museums — its recently unveiled list includes seven new, or newly reopened, institutions around the world. All are visually outstanding, and reflect their local heritage in unique, innovative ways. They are competing for three prizes, with the winners to be revealed in November: the Prix Versailles itself, and awards for the best interior and exterior. Here’s a rundown of the contenders – which ones get your vote?

7 of the most Beautiful Museums in the World

A4 Art Museum, Chengdu, China

You might do a double-take when you first see the A4 Art Museum. Chengdu is one of China’s most populated cities, but the museum’s location, the suburban district of Luxetown, was modelled on a hillside town in Tuscany, complete with a church and country club. The museum building, which sits on one side of a Florentine-style piazza, has been remodelled by Tektonn Architects (founded in Paris, but now based in Chengdu) in ingenious fashion: from the outside, it maintains its quasi-medieval proportions, but is subtly updated with a geometric corner façade and tall, thin windows. Inside, it’s even more surprising. Three floors above ground are open, welcoming spaces in keeping with the adjacent piazza, while two below house beautifully minimalist exhibition galleries. The perfect fusion of old and new, easily making it onto the list of the world’s most beautiful museums.

Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt

Having the three Great Pyramids of Giza next door to your museum must be intimidating for any architect, so it’s no surprise that it took Dublin studio Heneghan Peng Architects 20 years to complete the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is scheduled to open later this year and will house over 100,000 pharaonic artefacts from Ancient Egypt. The architects’ design riffs on the austere geometry of the pyramids, with its sharply intersecting limestone planes and triangular gardens; inside, the colossal entrance atrium wows visitors, perforations in its walls and ceiling allowing sunlight to illuminate a huge statue of Ramses II (himself one of Ancient Egypt’s most ambitious builders). Ascend the grand staircase and you’ll be treated to peerless views of the Giza Plateau and the pyramids beyond.

Smritivan Earthquake Museum, Bhuj, India

The Smritivan Earthquake Museum serves as a memorial to the 2001 earthquake that killed 12,932 people in Smritivan, Gujarat. Architect Rajeev Kathpalia of Vastu Shilpa Sangath has brought the devastated site back to life with a terraced structure in sand-coloured stone. Its galleries climb up a steep incline and are connected by a winding path, their circular forms echoing the architecture of a ruined fortress overlooking the site. Kathpalia has also planted 12,932 trees, which surround the museum with a lush forest; they are watered by 50 reservoirs on which the names of the victims are engraved. Inside, the museum is divided into seven blocks named Rebirth, Rediscover, Restore, Rebuild, Rethink, Relive and Renew; each represents a different aspect of what the museum symbolises. Artefacts, art and virtual-reality displays explore Gujarat’s topography and its vulnerability to natural disasters, as well as the story of recovery.

Simose Art Museum, Hiroshima, Japan

There’s a poetic beauty to Japan’s Simose Art Museum that’s hard to beat. Designed by celebrated architect Shigeru Ban, the museum takes the form of eight mobile galleries in multicoloured glass. These sit atop a reflective pool and form an arresting contrast to the surrounding landscape, which borders the Seto Inland Sea. At night, the museum is lit to a luminous effect; by day, it presents a vibrant scene with its contemporary garden of seasonal plants and flowers. Many of the latter were favourite motifs for the French Art Nouveau glass artist Emil Gallé, whose work makes up a significant portion of the museum’s collection (it also displays works by Matisse and Chagall, and a collection of Japanese dolls). From the rooftop, there’s a wonderful view of the Setouchi Islands, which partly inspired the arrangement of galleries on water.

Paleis Het Loo, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

The new extension to the Paleis Het Loo, housed in a 17^th-century former royal palace near Apeldoorn and one of The Netherlands’ most popular museums, is the Dutch answer to the Louvre Pyramid. Rotterdam firm KAAN Architecten had the ingenious idea of using the hydraulic systems employed in the palace gardens as a creative springboard for an underground extension. Visible at ground level as a serene oval pool and fountain in the palace courtyard, it incorporates glass skylights that illuminate a series of white marble galleries beneath. Reflecting the symmetry of the baroque palace but at the same time utterly modern, the extension houses a museum for children and a permanent exhibition on the Dutch royal family.

Oman Across Ages Museum, Manah, Oman

Oman’s breathtaking new national museum, designed by Australian firm Cox Architecture, is inspired by the landscape that surrounds it: situated on a flat desert plain with the Al Hajar Mountains in the distance, its gleaming white exterior is dominated by a towering spike, which rises next to an expansive canopied plaza. The Oman Across Ages Museum is, as its name suggests, a celebration of the country’s rich history, and is located in Manah, near to the ancient capital city of Nizwa. This region has many archaeological sites and is known for its numerous historic forts. The museum is intended to inspire young Omanis to connect to their past, and has been many years in the making – it was the vision of Oman’s late ruler, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.

Polish History Museum, Warsaw, Poland

The Polish History Museum forms part of one of the biggest museum complexes in the world, occupying a site in the Warsaw Citadel next to the Polish Army Museum and the Katyn Museum. Its monolithic marble façade forms a dramatic contrast with the surrounding parkland, as well as referencing the layout of the barracks that formerly stood on the site. Local architecture firm WXCA has clad the new building in grey marble slabs arranged in contrasting horizontal strips, resulting in remarkable tonal and textural variations. As if to underscore this layered effect, relief patterns that represent an “archaeological cross-section” of Polish history are etched into the stone: they borrow from the design of bas-relief doors in Gniezno Cathedral, the decorations of St Sigismund’s Chapel in Krakow, and the Modernist Spodek arena complex in Katowice, among other buildings.

From the rugged backcountry of Canada to the glacier-fed basins of Norway, these lake-studded countries are a dream for swimmers, canoers, cold-dippers and the chronically outdoorsy. Here are the countries with the most natural lakes in the world, and why you might want to seek them out.

How this list was made

This ranking is based on data collected by geographers at McGill University, Canada, as part of a larger study published in the Nature Communications journal. This data counts natural lakes with a surface area of at least 0.1 square kilometres (10 hectares). That means tiny ponds, wetlands, and man-made reservoirs are excluded. Countries like Finland and Estonia, while famous for their high lake density, have many small lakes that don’t meet this size threshold, so they don’t rank as high in total count under this method.

Countries with the most natural lakes

Canada: 879,800 lakes

More than half of the world’s lakes lie within Canada’s borders, and you’re never too far from one, especially in Ontario and British Columbia. From the glacier-fed Moraine Lake in Alberta to the remote waters of the Yukon, this is a wilderness lover’s dream.

Russia: 201,200 lakes

Russia’s sheer landmass means thousands of lakes scattered across taiga, tundra, and mountain. Don’t miss Lake Baikal in Siberia, the world’s deepest and oldest freshwater lake, with its own ecosystem and transparent ice in winter.

United States: 102,500 lakes

From the Great Lakes in the north to the alpine pools of Colorado and Montana, the US has it all. Minnesota alone is nicknamed the “land of 10,000 lakes”, though the actual number is even higher.

China: 23,800 lakes

China’s lakes span everything from the turquoise Namtso Lake in Tibet to the vast Poyang Lake in the southeast. Many are sacred in Tibetan and Buddhist traditions.

Sweden: 22,600 lakes

With its endless forests and friluftsliv (open-air living) lifestyle, Sweden’s lake culture runs deep. Canoe routes, lakeside saunas, and wild swims are practically a summer ritual here, across expansive lakes like Vanern in central Sweden and Malaren near Stockholm.

Brazil: 20,900 lakes

Often overlooked for its rivers, Brazil also boasts thousands of natural lakes, especially in the Amazon basin and Pantanal wetlands. Many are surrounded by wildlife-rich ecosystems.

Norway: 20,000 lakes

Glacial lakes, fjordside pools, and snow-fed mountain tarns dot Norway’s rugged landscape. Locals often hike with swimsuits in tow—wild swimming is a national pastime.

Argentina: 13,600 lakes

From the snow-capped Andes to the steppes of Patagonia, Argentina’s lakes include famous spots like Lake Nahuel Huapi, which is great for kayaking, fishing, or just sipping Malbec by the shore.

Kazakhstan: 12,400 lakes

These lakes are often found in steppes and semi-arid zones, giving them an otherworldly beauty. The iconic Lake Balkhash is especially unique, half of it is freshwater, the other half saline.

Australia: 11,400 lakes

While many Australian lakes are seasonal or saltwater, the country is still dotted with massive inland basins. Don’t miss Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda), which floods only occasionally but transforms into a vivid, otherworldly mirror when it does.

Whether you’re drawn to pristine alpine waters or hidden forest ponds, lake-rich countries offer a slower, scenic kind of adventure. Come summer, they’re perfect for swimming, paddling, and stargazing; in winter, some freeze into natural ice rinks. Just don’t forget your swimsuit and your mosquito repellent.

Video game tourism is on the rise as the games’ immersive and interactive worlds spark wanderlust in their biggest fans. From Oslo to Tokyo, here are eight places where gamers can level up.

At least 35 percent of U.S. travelers are inspired to book a trip overseas based on a video game they’ve played, according to Skyscanner’s recent survey As technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, video games continue to gain points other traditional media can’t quite reach. May Naidoo is not surprised. He’s a filmmaker and Pokémon Partner who travels for video game content, and he sees the clear benefits.

“Movies are influential because they take you back to a specific scene, but video games are more interactive. They place you in the moment with the character and story. You’re engaging far more with the sensory experience,” he says.

Gamer Didier South agrees, “Games are reaching new levels of realism, with both graphics and storytelling. It raises the excitement of seeing it in real life, but it also raises the expectations of authenticity.”

South is one of a growing number of travelers diving into video game tourism. His current game of choice is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, a 2025 role-playing game set in 15th-century Bohemia. He has more than 100 hours of gameplay, but he’s not just playing a video game; he’s also taking notes on locations and cultural sites within the game and planning to see them in Czechia later this year.

Now, you can join this growing trend by exploring the real places that inspired game developers, and you can immerse yourself in video games brought to life as tourist attractions like Super Nintendo World™. Here are seven next-level, real world experiences for gamers.

1. Ultimate game day in Orlando

Take the family to the recently opened Super Nintendo World™, one of five new immersive worlds in Universal Epic Universe Orlando. Ride Yoshi’s Adventure repeatedly while searching for glowing eggs or careen through the jungle in Donkey Kong’s Mine-Cart Madness. Let the grown-ups show the kids how it’s done with Orlando’s retro arcades, like Arcade Monsters. One entry price allows gamers to play more than 200 pinball machines and arcade games. Discover the science behind video games at the Orlando Science Center, meanwhile, the “DC Super Heroes” exhibit, on-site through September 7, 2025, will test your superhero skills and allow you to step into the iconic worlds of legendary superheroes, including Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.

2. Tokyo’s electric town

The first stop for any gamer is the famous Akihabara District (also known as Akiba) in Tokyo. This is the heart of gaming with high-end tech stores, fan-favorite collectibles, and arcades. Grab a bite at nearby Monster Hunters Bar, which features a menu straight from the game, including Kirin’s Lightning Strike Parfait G. Walk it off with a visit to Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, and watch out for rare Pokémon along the way. For a bonus level of culture, visit the Tokyo National Museum for pottery from the Jōmon period. It’s the real-life inspiration for key scenes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

3. Valhalla and the Northern Lights

Prepare for Valhalla with immersive high-tech displays at The Viking Planet, Oslo’s first digital museum dedicated to the Viking Age. The interactive exhibits include a digital walkthrough of the historic Viking ships (the Oseberg and the Gokstad) as well as virtual reality (VR) experiences of a Viking Raid. Then test your survival skills at Jernaldergarden, a living museum set during the Iron Age in the Stavanger region—inspiration for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Explore the landscape of the Besseggen Ridge (including glaciers) within Jotunheimen National Park, which gamers may recall as part of the video game God of War: Ragnarök. And if you travel as far as Tromsø for the Aurora Borealis, refuel at Burgr with a gaming-inspired meal before heading out to chase the Northern Lights.

4. Escape to Montana

Head to Big Sky Country in Montana to visit Glacier National Park, where key points of interest like Logan Pass Visitor Center and St. Mary Lake, inspired the scenery in the video games, Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn. When you’re ready to return to civilization, head to Bozeman for the American Computer & Robotics Museum, which covers 4,000 years of human history from original cuneiform tablets to the first personal computers. Parents can take their kids along the Montana Dinosaur Trail to follow Dr. Alan Grant and his dinosaur digs featured in the video game LEGO Jurassic World. Make this fictional game a real-life, family-friendly adventure.

5. Luxor’s path to the pharaohs

While we don’t recommend leaping from rooftop to rooftop as seen in Assassin’s Creed: Origins, the video game offers showstopping graphics for Egypt’s temples. Travel to Luxor to see the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, in honor of Ancient Egypt’s only female pharaoh and “Gaming Queen,” with her own Senet board game. Across the River Nile, Karnak Temple is instantly identified by its towering walls. Then head to nearby Luxor Souk in the Haba Raba district, where street vendors serve ful medames, an Egyptian stew recipe seen in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. In the video game, Indy also recommends the hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon). Travelers with adventurous palates can taste it at Sofra Restaurant & Cafe, one street from the East Bank. Cooking classes are also offered to round out your authentic Egyptian experience.

6. Melbourne’s playable city

Local indie games like Eastern Market Murder are the best way to explore Melbourne’s famous laneways, using the true crime murder of Frank Stevens in 1899 to unlock the history of Melbourne’s CBD (Central Business District). Gamers can dive into the development of other video games like Hollow Knight: Silksong on display at ACMI (formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Grab a tavern lunch at Fortress, where patrons will find gaming consoles at their table. Chill with penguins at Sea Life Aquarium and the Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons exhibits. Secret bonus level: Catch Tram 96 from the Aquarium to St. Kilda Pier for the city’s Little Penguin Colony. Although the viewing boardwalk is currently closed, you may spot penguins from the end of the pier. Remember to give them their space and no flash photography.

7. Paris: Space Invaders tour and Pokémon events

Grab your comfy shoes for a walking tour in Paris to discover its street art and modern history. The tour’s route is marked with hidden graphics and icons from the retro-video game, Space Invaders. It’s just like exploring Parisian-inspired Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A! Paris also plays host to real-life Pokémon events such as Pokémon GO Fest as well as special in-game features like Furfrou’s La Reine Trim costume design. Furfrou’s La Reine Trim. Gamers have an opportunity to catch rare in-game Pokémon in the gardens of Parc de Sceaux, too. Finish your journey with a tour of the Catacombs of Paris, the inspiration for the final scene in Assassin’s Creed: Unity. The massive crypt holds the remains of six million people and just as many untold stories.

8. Peruvian clues for treasure

Before you live out your Uncharted dreams, take survival notes at the Botanical Gardens in the Parque de las Leyendas in Lima. Look for the Kantuta bush (Flor de la Cantuta), Peru’s national flower and star of Inca myths and legends. Learn more about these stories at the Casona of the National University of San Marcos, home to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Its extensive collection of pottery and artwork provides clues to treasures found in the Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the World Museum—like Lara Croft in the video game Tomb Raider: Legend. It all comes together with a visit to the ancient Chachapoyas citadel Kuelap; the carved stone walls and buildings hidden in the Amazon Forest directly inspire the opening scene in the PlayStation game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.