Multicultural City walk (2 km)

1. Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum is located at the former Saint Joseph's Institution. The building of the boys' school dates back to 1855. Over the years, different architectural elements were added, renovated or restored. The Singapore Art Museum opened in 1996. International and Asian contemporary art exhibitions are organised here and the museum also houses a permanent collection of Asian contemporary art.

Waterloo Street - Formerly known as Church Street, this road was first built in 1837. The many religious buildings on or close to Waterloo Street reflect Singapore's mixed cultural heritage.

2. Maghain Aboth Synagogue
The Maghain Aboth Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in Southeast Asia, and dates back to 1878. Maghain Aboth means "Shield of our Fathers".

3. Church of Saints Peter and Paul
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1870. Later, different elements and decorations were added, such as the sacristy and transept. It used to cater to Chinese, Indian and European Catholics, but today is a mainly Chinese parish.

4. Sri Krishna Temple
This Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna dates back to 1870. It is said that the temple was established when a devotee placed an image of Krishna under a banyan tree that was growing here.

5. Kuan Yin Temple
First built in 1884, and rebuilt later, Kuan Yin temple is one of Singapore's oldest. It is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Images of other deities were later added, including one of Buddha. During the Second World War, the temple provided shelter for the unfortunate. Today, it remains one of Singapore's important temples, and is especially busy over Chinese New Year. Kuan Yin temple is also famous for its divination activities: devotees shake special sticks in a can and foretell their future according to the sticks that fall out.

6. Library
The National Library moved from its location in Stamford Road, close to the National Museum, to this 16-storey building designed by T. R. Hamzah & Yeang in 2005. The building sit over an airy atrium. Escalators and sky bridge link the different blocks and levels. Two 'sky courts' or gardens are open to the public and offer views over the city. The National Library houses the Lee Kong Chian reference library, a lending library and the Drama Centre, where you can catch various art performances.

7. Bugis
This area was named after the Bugis, seafaring traders from Sulawesi, Indonesia, who used to trade in Singapore. Later, between 1950 and 1980, the Bugis area was famed for its nightlife and transvestites. Today, Bugis Street has been "rehabilitated", covered by a glass ceiling and integrated into a shopping mall as an "indoor street". Opposite the mall known as Bugis Junction, is the lively Bugis Street Market.

Kampong Glam Walk (2.5 km)

Kampong Glam means "Glam Village" in Malay, and the name comes from "Gelam, a variety of Eucalyptus that used to grow in the area. Kampong Glam used to be the Malay sultans' residential area as well as the main Muslim and Arab district. The Muslim presence is still strong today.

1. Arab Street / Bussorah Street / Baghdad Street / Kandahar Street / Ophir Road / Haji Lane
One and two-storey shophouses with five-foot covered paths line the streets in Kampong Glam. These shophouses were built between the mid 19th and mid 20th centuries and have simple to very intricate façades. Look out for textiles, Islamic books and accessoriess, scents, arts and crafts, souvenirs and vintage items in Kampong Glam's shops. And make sure you sample tasty Muslim fare at the many restaurants!

2. Beach Road
Beach Road is one of Singapore's oldest streets. European merchants' villas, among which the future Raffles Hotel, were built along this road. As the name suggests, the sea used to come right up to Beach Road until the late 19th century, when land reclamation started.

3. Sultan Mosque
The first mosque was built in 1824, under the orders of the Sultan of Johor who lived in Kampong Glam. The actual mosque was completed in 1928, and other annexes added later. Sultan Mosque is one of the most important mosques in Singapore today.

4. Malay Heritage Centre / Istana Kampong Glam
The first Istana -or Palace- was built in 1819 by the Sultan of Johor. In 1843, the wooden structure was replaced by the current building, said to have been designed by George Drumgoole Coleman. Restored in 2004, the Istana Kampong Glam now houses the Malay Heritage Centre. Set in a garden, the centre is a showcase for Malay culture in Singapore.

5. Alsagoff Arab School
Singapore's first Muslim school was built in 1912 and named after its founder, Alsagoff, an influential Arab merchant.

6. Malabar Mosque
Founded in 1956 and completed in 1963. The mosque was later covered with blue tiles. It sits next to a small Muslim cemetery and is managed by the Malabar Muslim community, originally from Malabar Coast in Kerala, India.

7. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque
The Mosque was built in 1856 and named after Hajjah Fatimah, a Malay businesswoman who donated the land for the building. Its architecture is a mix of Singaporean Islamic and European influences. The Mosque is also know for its leaning octagonal minaret, said to be six degrees off centre.