Romania - Event

More than 1000 rooms over 12 floors make up the colossal Palace of Parliament, south of Bucharest's centre. It's the former home of Romania's megalomaniac communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu. Tours take in opulent 1980s decor, with chandeliers and marble galore.

The palace, which was built using exclusively Romanian materials, also features cherry and walnut wood panelling, hand-woven tapestries, carpets and draperies.

Construction work began in 1984 and ended in 1989, utilising the skills of around 400 architects and 20,000 workers, personally supervised by Ceausescu himself.

Please note that, since November 2008, foreign visitors will only be admitted with a photo ID, preferably a passport.