Start the day with a visit at the heaviest building in the world, The Palace of Parliament.

Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of “Little Paris”), Bucharest, Romania’s largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis.

Legend has it that the city of Bucharest was founded on the banks of the Dambovita River, by a shepherd named Bucur, whose name literarily means “joy.” His flute playing reportedly dazzled the people and his hearty wine from nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders, who gave his name to the place.

In a panoramic tour we present some of its landmarks: The Romanian Athenaeum, Central Army House, The National Theatre, The Revolution Square, Victoriei Boulevard with Victoriei Square, Victoria Palace (The Government), The Arch of Triumph, House of Press, Unirii Square.

Visit to the Parliament Palace – Due to its immense physical, psychic and historic stature, is perhaps the most controversial building in Romania, an extravagant and expensive building project. Claiming superlative as the world’s second-largest building by surface area (after the spacious US Pentagon), the palace boasts 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 328-ft-long lobby and 8 underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker. The interior is a luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows and floors covered in rich carpets. Nowadays it hosts the Romanian Parliament, a conference center and a museum.