As part of the lengthy and stylish rejuvenation of Oslo's Tjuvholmen district into a center for the arts, Renzo Piano's statement Astrup Fearnley Museet sits over a series of mini-canals overlooking Oslofjord. It consists of two gleaming glass-and-timber galleries with sweeping glass roofs, one to house the permanent collections and the second holding temporary exhibitions.

The museum's permanent collection of peerless contemporary art includes the kitschy ceramics of Jeff Koons, a sizeable collection of works by British bad-boy artist Damien Hirst, work from Matthew Barney, and off-the-wall installations, hard-hitting photography, and wacky paintings by a roster of great international names. Anish Kapoor's sculptures adorn the gardens. There's a great menu in the glass-fronted Café Renzo—a lovely place to sit and watch boats flitting across the Oslo Fjord.