Palace of ParliamentBuilt by Communist Party leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, the colossal
Palace of Parliament is the second largest building in the world
after the Pentagon. It is an immense structure that took 20,000
workers and 700 architects to build, and cost billions. It has 12
storeys, 1,100 rooms, a 328 foot-long (100m) lobby, and four
underground levels including an enormous nuclear bunker. Started in 1984, the dictator intended it to be the headquarters
of his Communist Government, but it was still unfinished when he
was executed in 1989. Today it houses the seat of Romania's
Parliament and is an international conference centre. Widely viewed
as a personification of his obsession with grandiose things and
actions, the construction entailed the demolition of a quarter of
Bucharest's historic centre, including 26 churches, and the
relocation of 40,000 inhabitants from their 19th century homes to
new developments on the outskirts. Built and furnished exclusively from Romanian materials, Address: Bulevardul Unirii Website: www.cdep.ro/cic Email: cic@cdep.ro Telephone: +40 (0)21 312 1 Transportation: Metro Izyor or Unirii, or bus 136 or 385 Opening Time: Daily 10am-4pm. Admission: RON 20 (foreign adults). Must present valid
ID/passport. |