Visiting the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Like religion, there鈥檚 often nothing more grandiose and over-the-top than the government. And Bucharest鈥檚 Palace of the Parliament is a shining example of that. Unbeknownst to me, the building is actually record-breaking for several reasons.
The imposing structure, which has 15 floors above ground and 5 below is the second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon. It鈥檚 also the world鈥檚 most expensive administrative building and the heaviest building. I think it鈥檚 hard to really conceptualize the size of it until you鈥檙e standing on the other end of Union Boulevard聽and you realize it鈥檚 still the most imposing building in the city.
Of course, something this elaborate could only be the brainchild of communism. The building, which was conceived in 1977, was actually designed to be a replica of North Korea鈥檚 Pyongyang 鈥� a city within a city to house all the offices and marvels of the communist party. And in a grand nationalistic fashion, every single material used in the building is from Romania. Romanian wood, Romanian silver and gold, Romanian crystal, Romanian marble. Absolutely nothing was imported. The building was intended to be a proud symbol of the country鈥檚 power. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
The imposing structure, which has 15 floors above ground and 5 below is the second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon. It鈥檚 also the world鈥檚 most expensive administrative building and the heaviest building. I think it鈥檚 hard to really conceptualize the size of it until you鈥檙e standing on the other end of Union Boulevard聽and you realize it鈥檚 still the most imposing building in the city.
Of course, something this elaborate could only be the brainchild of communism. The building, which was conceived in 1977, was actually designed to be a replica of North Korea鈥檚 Pyongyang 鈥� a city within a city to house all the offices and marvels of the communist party. And in a grand nationalistic fashion, every single material used in the building is from Romania. Romanian wood, Romanian silver and gold, Romanian crystal, Romanian marble. Absolutely nothing was imported. The building was intended to be a proud symbol of the country鈥檚 power. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
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Guide Name: Visiting the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest
Guide Location: Romania » Bucharest
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Ana Montano
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
Guide Location: Romania » Bucharest
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Ana Montano
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
- Palace of the Parliament
- Union Boulevard
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