Hotels near Palace of the Parliament

The Palace of the Parliament is the second largest administrative building in the world by floor area after the Pentagon, and the heaviest building on the planet at an estimated 4.1 million tonnes. Commissioned by Nicolae Ceausescu in 1984 and still not entirely finished at his execution in December 1989, it holds 3,100 rooms across 12 storeys and rises 84 metres above street level - with another 92 metres of levels below ground. The exterior of Transylvanian marble, Carrara marble, and Romanian oak alone was drawn from every region of the country.

The standard 60-minute guided tour covers eight of the largest staterooms including the Union Hall with its 2.5-tonne central chandelier and the Nicolae Balcescu Hall with 8-metre embroidered curtains. Language slots run in English, French, German, Spanish, and Romanian, and photography is allowed with a small extra fee. Bring your passport - security at the visitors' entrance checks names against the booking manifest, and no ID means no entry, no exceptions.

Pro Tip: Book online at cic.cdep.ro at least 48 hours ahead, and pick the 10:00 or 10:30 English slot - by 14:00 the acoustics fill with tour-group chatter, and the panoramic terrace loses the morning light for photos of Bulevardul Unirii.