Bucharest Old Town Highlights: Palace of the Parliament, one of the most iconic buildings in the world

Originally called "House of the Republic", the Parliament Palace is the most spectacular Romanian project carried out under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, an important piece of history and nowadays, one of Bucharest's main tourist attractions.

Located in the heart of Bucharest, the building, also known as the “People’s Palace”, is considered the second largest administrative building in the world, after the US Pentagon, as it covers an area of over 330,000 sqm.

The construction began in 1984, during the communist regime, and it was intended to be a replica of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The Romanian dictator came up with the idea after the big earthquake in March 1977, which had devastating effects in Romania, with massive destructions including for Bucharest buildings.

The building was designed by a team of 700 architects, under the direction of chief architect Anca Petrescu. Between 20,000 and 100,000 people were appointed to the project, 3,000 of which have died during construction works.

The Palace of the Parliament has 12 stories and 8 underground levels, the last one being an atomic bunker. Today, only 400 chambers and 2 large can be used, out of its total of 1,100 rooms. The interior is a luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows and floors covered in rich carpets.

Today, the Palace of the Parliament is an administrative building that hosts the Parliament of Romania, with its Chamber of Deputies, the Palace of the Chamber of Deputies, and the Romanian Senate. The immense building also houses the National Museum of Contemporary Art since 2004.

The building is one of the most important tourist attractions in Bucharest, is open to visitors and tours are also organized, including guided tours in foreign languages. Visiting hours: every day from 10.00 A.M until 4.00 P.M.

Nowadays, the Palace of the Parliament is also used for vibrant light shows during the iMapp competition or during the days of the city.

How to get there:

The Palace of the Parliament is located in downtown Bucharest, near the Constity=utiei Square and the Izvor Park. The building is framed by Izvor street, Națiunile Unite boulevard, Libertății boulevard, and Calea 13 Septembrie. Several buses stop nearby, including the tourist bus line, and the nearest subway stations are Izvor, Universitate Square and Unirii Square.

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