Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. There are more than 1 million habitants in the city. There is much to do in the capital. You will find below a short description of the main attractions the city.

Royal Palace

Cambodia's Royal Palace, located along Sothearos Boulevard, is just off the riverside. It was mainly built by the French in 1866.  Since November 1991, it has been the home of former King Norodom Sihanouk, as it once was before the war. The main building on the compound is the Throne Room which was built in 1917. It has a tiered roof and a 59m tower, influenced by Angkor's Bayon temple. This room was used for coronations and other official occasions such as the reception of foreign ambassadors when they presented their official credentials.

National Museum

The National museum of Phnom Penh is instantly recognizable with its warm red terracotta and its gracefully curved roof topped by dozens of guardian nagas.  It was built in 1917 in traditional Khmer architecture and inaugurated in 1920 by King Sisowath. It houses more than 5,000 pre-Angkorian artifacts and is the world best collection of Khmer archeological, religious and artistic artifacts from the 4th to 13th century on display.

Wat Phnom

Located on a man-made hill, 27 meters high from which the city takes his name. It is point zero of the city. Legend has it that a wealthy widow named Lady Penh was walking by the Mekong river one day when she spied a koki tree log floating near the bank. She found some locals to help her pull it to shore and inside she found four statues of Buddha. The pagoda was built for the first time by Lady Penh in 1372 to house those four statues. The present temple was build in 1926 and each incarnation has seemed more beautiful than the one before. On the hill, there is a large stupa that holds the cremains of King Ponhea Yat (1405-1467) and his royal family.

Independence Monument

This 20-metre tall, red-stone monument was erected by King Sihanouk's father, King Norodom Suramarit who reigned as King from 1955 until his death in 1960. The monument was built in 1958 to commemorate Cambodia's independence from France, which was granted in 1953 following Sihanouk's declaration of a "royal crusde for independence". Today the monument serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the wars in Cambodia. It also serves as a place for youth to hang out and catch the cool evening breeze which blows off the Tonle Sap River in the hot season.

Toul Sleng Genocide Museum

When Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer rouge, this former high school was converted into the detention and interrogation center known as S-21. Political enemies suspected of treason were brought here and tortured for confessions. Only 7 detainees survived S-21. The brutal history of Toul Sleng was documented by the Khmer rouge themselves in the postmortem photos of many of the victims. The tragedy of S-21 is almost too much to bear, whether you choose to walk through the buildings alone or with one of the excellent guides registered with the museum.

Choeung Ek - Killing Fields

The place is in Wat Choeung Ek, about 15 kilometers from the center of Phnom Penh. This memorial is on the site of a Khmer Rouge extermination camp where almost 9,000 bodies were wxhumed from mass graves after the fall of the regime. The real number of victims is estimated to be twice as many, as the dead were not exhumed from all the graves discovered. The centerpiece of the memorial is a solitary stupa in which the bones of the dead are displayed along with many personal possessions buried with them.

The Riverfront

The evening stroll along the Tonle Sap riverfront is an institution among Cambodians living in Phnom Penh, particularly in the hot season when the cool evening breeze blows in over the water from the east. Sisowath Quay, which was "beautified" in 1997 with funds from the Asian Development Bank, is a bustling promenade and home to many international style bars and restaurants, many of them set in restored colonial villas dating back to the 19th century. Chhroy Changva park is another newly attraction at the other side of the river side opposite of the Royal Palace. The riverfront is also a focus for the city's major festivals such as Khmer New Year in April and the Water Festival in November.