Palace of Parliament

Facing B-dul Unirii is the impossible-to-miss Palace of Parliament, the world's second-largest building (after the US Pentagon) and Ceauşescu's most infamous creation. Built in 1984 (and still 10% unfinished), the building's 12 storeys and 3100 rooms covers 330,000 sq metres - an estimated around €3.3 billion project.

Rushed, but interesting, 45 minutes tours go every half-hour or so and lead into a handful of marble rooms - still hired out for conferences - finishing at the balcony Nicolae didn't live long enough to speak from. The whopping €9.60 photography or video fee is widely ignored. Facing from B-dul Unirii, the entrance is around to the right (a 12-minute walk). The best way to the palace is walking from Piaţa Unirii (and its metro station) along B-dul Unirii. Controversy still rages around this massive edifice. More than a symbol of Ceauşescu's communist vision, it stands today as a reminder of the price Romania paid to satisfy the egotistical whims of Nicolae and Elena. While people starved, hospitals suffered medicine shortages and industry ground to a halt, Ceauşescu embarked on building the world's second-largest building at an estimated cost of around €3.3 billion. The monument has attracted its own myths which, added to the facts, make this Bucharest's most fascinating architectural wonder.