Bucharest's landmark Palace of the Parliament is an architectural colossus. It was built for the former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), who called it the People's House and used it as his family's residence and as the seat of his government. Not only is the palace the heaviest building in the world, it's also the second-largest administrative building on the planet, after the Pentagon.

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Palace of Parliament interior -

This vast pantheon to kitsch and ostentation numbers more than 3,000 rooms. A guided tour of the interior explores the more opulent halls and chambers.

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National Museum of Contemporary Art -

The Palace of Parliament houses three museums including the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which is located in a modern wing of the building. Expect to see communist-era paintings like this, Ceaușescu depicted as a peace-loving father figure surrounded by children and doves.

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Romanian Athenaeum -

Replete with an ornate dome, the circular Romanian Athenaeum is a cherished landmark of the Romanian capital. Built in the 19th century to resemble an ancient Greek temple, it is today home to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, named for one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history.

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Romanian Athenaeum interior -

The lavish interior of the Romanian Athenaeum features a lobby of intricately-painted gold-leaf ceilings, cascading balconies, and spiral-marbled staircases. At its center is a beautifully proportioned concert hall.

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Stavropoleos Church -

Managing to enjoy a quiet and peaceful setting in the center of the city is the tiny Stavropoleos Church. Completed in 1724, the building is quite simply unique for its fine exterior of stone and wood carvings and a combination of Romanian and Byzantine elements.

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Stavropoleos Church interior -

The church interior is no less attractive, adorned as it is with frescoes and carved wood icons.

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Revolution Square -

Bucharest's Revolution Square is pinpointed by the remarkable Monument of Rebirth, erected as a memorial to Romania's bloody December 1989 revolution. The names of the 1,058 victims who fell during the violent civil unrest are engraved on the monument. Fittingly, it faces the spot where Ceaușescu made his last public appearance before fleeing with his wife by helicopter only for both to be later executed by an army firing squad.

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National Museum of Art of Romania -

Bucharest's former royal palace serves as home to the National Museum of Art of Romania, which houses the world's most complete collection of Romanian art, including the fabulous Royal Collection.

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Cantacuzino Palace -

Check out Cantacuzino Palace for its Beaux Arts-style good looks and the handsome pair of Louis XIV-style lions guarding the entrance. Get past these guys and you can visit the George Enescu National Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the Romanian composer.

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Arcul de Triumf -

Bucharest has its own triumphal arch, the monumental Arcul de Triumf. The present arch was completed in 1936 and serves as a mustering point for military parades and other VIP ceremonies.

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Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum -

To get an idea of what traditional rural life in Romania looks like, amble over to the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum. This wonderful open-air facility features thatched cottages and barns, heavy log cabins, mills, and several churches. It's found in the city's leafy Herastrau Park district.

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Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History -

Here's one for the kids, a place where they can come face-to-face with the world's only intact skeleton of Deinotherium gigantissimum, a large and ferocious prehistoric relative of the modern-day elephant.

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Cișmigiu Gardens -

You'll fall in love with Cișmigiu Gardens, Bucharest's tranquil public park. Known for its seasonal showstopper, beds of bright and beautiful flowers, Cișmigiu Gardens is also distinguished with a lake. The resident black swans just melt your heart!

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Carol Park -

The city's other well-known green space is Carol Park, named for the Romanian king. It's here that you can ponder the gigantic mausoleum, built in honor of revolutionary socialist militants.

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Choral Temple -

Built between 1864 and 1866, Choral Temple is Bucharest's main working synagogue. It's worth nipping inside to admire the visually-stunning interior. Otherwise, pause for a moment next to the memorial to the victims of the Holocaust (including some 400,000 Romanian Jews) that stands in front of the building.

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Calea Victoriei -

A stroll along Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue) will take you past many of the attractions listed here. It's the city's main avenue and noted for some truly magnificent public buildings as well, including the Central University Library with its equestrian monument to King Carol I.

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Old Town -

Bucharest's Old Town is where to gather for bars, cafés, and restaurants. Pictured is the popular Egyptian Café.

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Caru' cu Bere -

The Caru' cu Bere, which roughly translates into English as the "beer wagon," has been serving as a bar-restaurant since 1879. Its celebrity pull is impressive, with members of the Rolling Stones numbering among its famous clientele.

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Cărturești Carusel -

Your Bucharest retail therapy should extend to Cărturești Carusel, a bookshop located on historic Lipscani street and one of the famous stores of its kind in Europe. Its name translates to "Carousel of Light," a reference to its wonderfully-cursive design and the flood of natural light that bathes the interior.

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Former Ceauşescu residence -

Curious as to where the late dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena spent relaxing? Then head over to the couple's former residence, Palatul Primaverii (Palace of Spring). A guided tour will reveal a cinema in the basement, Elena's opulent private chamber and its decorative—and expensive—furnishings, and the back garden and swimming pool.

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Athenee Palace -

And if you're wondering where to spend the night, consider the Athenee Palace Hilton. Opened in 1914, the hotel was a veritable den of spies in the years leading up to the Second World War. It later served as a hotbed for Romania's KGB, the Securitate. Today it's one of the city's most luxurious—and expensive—accommodation options.

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Snagov Monastery -

Set on a tiny island in a lake just outside of Bucharest is Snagov Monastery, reputedly the final resting place of Vlad III. His purported grave is located towards the back of the church.

Sources: (Guinness World Records)(Biography) (Britannica)

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Getting the best out of Bucharest

Exploring the Romanian capital

18/10/21 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Europe

Bucharest rarely tops the city-break option list, but to ignore the capital of Romania is a mistake. The city is full of historic churches and excellent museums, and home to a collection of quirkier crowd-pullers, including the heaviest building in the world and the alleged gravesite of Vlad the Impaler, the notorious 15th-century Romanian ruler who was the inspiration for Dracula. Interested now?

Click through and find out how to get the best out of Bucharest.