Palace of Parliament
Ceaușescu’s megalomaniac white whale — the second-largest building on earth by floor area.
About
Construction began in 1984 on the ruins of an entire historic Bucharest neighbourhood. It has 1,100 rooms across 12 storeys, all in Romanian marble, oak and crystal. Today it houses both chambers of the Romanian parliament and a strange contemporary art museum in the basement. Tours must be booked at least a day ahead with passport — they are slower-paced than you expect and worth it.