Musee du quai Branly 鈥� Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay), Paris
The Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay is the newest major museum in Paris, opened in 2006. Designed by the renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, it is considered an architectural attraction in its own right. The museum is dedicated to the indigenous arts and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, and as such showcases a staggering collection of over one million items, including ethnographic objects, photographs, and documents. Of these, 3,500 items are displayed at any given time through both permanent and temporary thematic exhibits.
Situated near the Eiffel Tower and the Alma Bridge, the museum serves as both a vibrant showcase of non-European cultures and a center for scholarly research. Realized during Jacques Chirac's presidency, it reflects a longstanding tradition of French presidents endorsing significant cultural projects.
The building itself, designed to foster an inclusive viewing experience, stretches 210 meters and covers an area of 4,750 square meters. It features a vast roof terrace and a main gallery that leads visitors through a winding, darkened ramp ideal for viewing displays. The museum complex also includes classrooms, an auditorium, and a multimedia library, among other facilities.
Upon entering the main building, visitors are greeted by an enormous Moai ancestor carving from Easter Island. The African collection includes masks, tapestries, and textiles. The Asian collection features the back of a seat of honor from Sumatra, figurines and masks from India, and textiles from China.
The Americas collection showcases Mayan artifacts from 600 AD, Aztec sculptures, and Canadian totem poles. Meanwhile, the Oceania collection comprises figurines from Papua New Guinea, masks from Vanuatu, and M膩ori sculptures from New Zealand.
The museum's library complements its rich collection, offering vast resources including a significant archive of photographs, documents, and numerous books accessible through its dual-structured reading rooms.
Externally, the museum's gardens are an innovative departure from traditional French formal gardens, featuring a blend of native and Paris-acclimated plants spread across 17,500 square meters of streams, hills, and groves, protected from street noise by a high wall of plate glass. The exterior wall is covered by a green carpet of living plants that spans over 800 square meters.
Situated near the Eiffel Tower and the Alma Bridge, the museum serves as both a vibrant showcase of non-European cultures and a center for scholarly research. Realized during Jacques Chirac's presidency, it reflects a longstanding tradition of French presidents endorsing significant cultural projects.
The building itself, designed to foster an inclusive viewing experience, stretches 210 meters and covers an area of 4,750 square meters. It features a vast roof terrace and a main gallery that leads visitors through a winding, darkened ramp ideal for viewing displays. The museum complex also includes classrooms, an auditorium, and a multimedia library, among other facilities.
Upon entering the main building, visitors are greeted by an enormous Moai ancestor carving from Easter Island. The African collection includes masks, tapestries, and textiles. The Asian collection features the back of a seat of honor from Sumatra, figurines and masks from India, and textiles from China.
The Americas collection showcases Mayan artifacts from 600 AD, Aztec sculptures, and Canadian totem poles. Meanwhile, the Oceania collection comprises figurines from Papua New Guinea, masks from Vanuatu, and M膩ori sculptures from New Zealand.
The museum's library complements its rich collection, offering vast resources including a significant archive of photographs, documents, and numerous books accessible through its dual-structured reading rooms.
Externally, the museum's gardens are an innovative departure from traditional French formal gardens, featuring a blend of native and Paris-acclimated plants spread across 17,500 square meters of streams, hills, and groves, protected from street noise by a high wall of plate glass. The exterior wall is covered by a green carpet of living plants that spans over 800 square meters.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Paris. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
Musee du quai Branly 鈥� Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay) on Map
Sight Name: Musee du quai Branly 鈥� Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay)
Sight Location: Paris, France (See walking tours in Paris)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Paris, France (See walking tours in Paris)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Paris, France
Create Your Own Walk in Paris
Creating your own self-guided walk in Paris is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Le Marais Walking Tour
Once a bourgeois area and still a major center of the Paris Jewish community, the Le Marais district is one of the hippest neighborhoods in the city. Boasting a wealth of narrow medieval streets, unique boutiques, and quirky establishments, it represents an eclectic blend of historical sites and the bustling energy of today.
Start your acquaintance with the area at Paris's City Hall 鈥� a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Start your acquaintance with the area at Paris's City Hall 鈥� a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Eiffel Tower Walking Tour
The 7th administrative district of Paris, a beacon of affluence and prestige, hosts an elite residential community and numerous national institutions of France, government offices, and diplomatic missions. This historical neighborhood is famed for its quintessentially Parisian architecture, vibrant caf茅s, restaurants, and gourmet shops that attract food enthusiasts from around the world.
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Paris Introduction Walking Tour II
As you continue your acquaintance with Paris driven by its timeless allure, the city's heart reveals itself with an array of places capturing its profound history and artistic legacy. The evolution of Paris is visible on the banks of the river Seine, the linking thread winding its way through the capital as if keeping a watchful eye on its architectural marvels.
The second part of our... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.4 Km or 2.7 Miles
The second part of our... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.4 Km or 2.7 Miles
St-Germain-des-Pres Walking Tour
This self-guided walk takes you to explore the 6th arrondissement, covering the quarter of St-Germain-des-Pr茅s, the riverside districts and the areas nearby the Luxembourg Garden. It is one of the most expensive districts of Paris, home to posh boutiques, eateries and iconic cafes once favored by philosophers and legendary writers, the likes of Hemingway and Camus. The area is likewise renowned... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
The French Revolution Landmarks Walking Tour
The French Revolution had a huge impact on France's history as it gave rise to a radical democratic republic and resulted in quite a bit of violence during the infamous "Reign of Terror". Even though many of Paris鈥� buildings were damaged in the course of the bloody conflicts, the sites they occupied 鈥� which you can find on this self-guided tour 鈥� are of a great historical... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 7.3 Km or 4.5 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 7.3 Km or 4.5 Miles
Champs-Elysees Walking Tour
On this self-guided walk you will witness the grandeur of the 8th arrondissement of the French capital 鈥� one of its busiest and chic neighborhoods, thanks to the presence of Avenue des Champs-Elys茅es, Arc de Triomphe, and Place de la Concorde.
Your best plan would be to start with the Triumphal Arch and walk up to its viewing area for great sights down the Champs-脡lys茅es 鈥� a lovely... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.7 Km or 2.9 Miles
Your best plan would be to start with the Triumphal Arch and walk up to its viewing area for great sights down the Champs-脡lys茅es 鈥� a lovely... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.7 Km or 2.9 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Top 16 Vegetarian Restaurants in Paris
The French have great respect for the fresh, organic produce yet France isn鈥檛 famous for its vegetarian cooking. Hence it鈥檚 a good idea for vegetarian visitors to Paris to come prepared in advance. This guide shows you places around the city which serve vegetarian food, complete with the...
18 Must-Visit Cafes in Paris, France
Paris is home to thousands of cafes; there is a caf茅 on practically every street corner you turn, in every square you stumble across, on every boulevard you stroll along. The age-old Parisian tradition of sitting around at rickety tables and shooting back espressos is a fundamental part of everyday...
9 Must Try Cafes in Paris
Discovering the best coffee and cafes in Paris can be difficult. The city is filled to the brim with brasseries and cafes, but very few offer the Anglophone standard of a good cup of coffee. This is a guide to inform tourists and Parisians alike of the new and somewhat established cafes in Paris...
15 Places for Tasting Best French Desserts in Paris
If you have a sweet tooth and it wishes to "eat your way" through Paris, this guide will show you how! Featured here are some of the most famous and prominent dessert spots in the French capital, where you can grab something sweet to enjoy. With 20 listed recommendations, you should be...
Paris Souvenirs: 19 Distinctively French Products to Bring Home from Paris
You can hardly have enough money and luggage space to get all the takes your fancy in Paris. Luckily, with a little bit of tasteful advice and experience, you can save yourself some time and effort and pick up just about the right amount of things worth taking home. Listed here are some of the hints...
10 Unusual Things to Do in Paris, France
If you've visited Paris, you've probably seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Versailles. You probably whizzed through some world-class art, ate delicious food in restaurants with English menus, and bought crepes from a street cart. However, Paris has a lot of things to do that...