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 ft-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, the
building reflects the work of the country’s best artisans. A
guided tour takes visitors through a small section of dazzling
rooms, huge halls and quarters used by the Senate (when not in
session). The interior is a luxurious display of crystal
chandeliers, mosaics, oak panelling and marble, gold leaf and
stained glass windows, and the floors are covered in rich carpets.
The largest room has a sliding roof wide enough for a helicopter to
enter. Tour guides delight in recounting tales of the vast amounts
of money that went to waste in decorating and re-decorating
its rooms.
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The Village MuseumOne of Bucharest's finest sights is the Village Museum, situated
within the Herastrau Park alongside a lake. It is a fascinating
outdoor museum with a collection that spans more than 300 buildings
representing the history and design of Romania's rural architecture
including peasant homes, barns, wooden churches and Transylvanian
houses from all regions of the country to recreate a village
setting. Traditionally dressed peasant workers portray life during
the 16th and 17th centuries along with everyday tools and
accessories. Traditional crafts are also for sale around the
site.
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Stavropoleos ChurchThe tiny but remarkable Stavropoleos Church was built in 1724,
designed by a Wallachian prince renowned for his religious
architectural accomplishments, and is one of the oldest churches in
Bucharest. Built using a combination of Romanian and Byzantine
architecture it has a beautiful façade and a delicately
carved columned entrance. Surrounded by a peaceful garden, it is an
architectural jewel, with beautiful frescoes and religious
icons.
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National History MuseumHoused in the former 1900 Post Office building is one of
Bucharest’s most important museums, the National History
Museum. Spread throughout 41 rooms the exhibits recount the
country’s development from prehistoric times to the 1920s.
The highlight is the basement National Treasury crammed with a
dazzling display of gold, jewellery and valuable Neolithic curios.
It is the biggest and best museum in the country and affords an
excellent opportunity to get to grips with the exciting history of
Romania.
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Bran CastleThe fortified medieval Bran Castle is often referred to as
Dracula’s Castle, looking as a vampire count’s abode
should look with a forbidding façade, towers and ramparts
rising out of the forest, and perched high on a steep cliff face
against a dramatic mountain background; however there is little
evidence to suggest Vlad Tepes ever stayed there. Bran Castle was
built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders, and it later
became the favourite summer residence of Queen Marie, offered to
her by the people of Brasov who owned it. The rooms and towers
surround an inner courtyard with a sculpted stone fountain. A
warren of narrow, winding stairs, secret chambers and underground
passageways lead between vaulted halls, a prison, watchtowers with
sweeping views, and the living area. The rooms are decorated with a
collection of Baroque furniture, elaborately carved four-poster
beds, weapons and armour dating from the 14th to 19th
centuries. On the grounds below is an open-air ethnographic Village
Museum consisting of old local-style architecture with household
objects, costumes and furniture on display. At the entrance to the
castle grounds is a large handicraft market that aims to distract
the bus loads of tourists.
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