Built by Communist Party leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, the colossal Palace of the Parliament (formerly known as the People’s Palace) is the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon.
It took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build this massive structure. The palace boasts 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 100-m-long lobby and four underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker.
When construction started in 1984, the dictator intended it to be the headquarters of his government. Today, it houses the Parliament of Romania and serves as an international conference center. Built and furnished exclusively with Romanian materials, the building reflects the work of the country’s best artisans.
A guided tour takes visitors through a small selection of dazzling rooms, huge halls and quarters used by the Senate (when not in session). The interior is a luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows and floors covered in rich carpets.
www.cic.cdep.ro/en/visiting/visiting-routes/
Address: Palace of the Parliament wing E4, Izvor St. 2-4, Bucharest 050563
Access through Calea 13 Septembrie (buses 136, 385)
Opening Hours
Monday-Sunday : 10 am – 6 pm (Closed on the legal holidays)
Price:
Adult: 35 lei
Student: 17 lei
