Castels and Fortresses
The Palace of Parliament, Bucharest
The world's second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon. Commissioned by Romania's last communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu this magnificent,
yet controversial, building of 6,000 rooms reflects the skill of Romania's best architects and craftsmen. Nicolae Ceausescu personally oversaw the work
of more than 400 architects and 20,000 workers who used exclusively Romanian made materials, accessories and decorations as marble, cherry and walnut
paneling, crystal chandeliers, hand-woven tapestries, carpets and draperies. Construction began in 1984 and ended in 1989. However, finishing work continued after 1989.
Peles Castle,Sinaia
Considered by many one of the most beautiful castles in all Europe, Peles Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture. Commissioned
by King Carol I in 1873 and completed in 1883, Peles' interiors are an opulent display of elegant design and historical artifact. Its 160 rooms are
adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls covered with Cordoba leather, Meissen
and Sevres porcelains, ebony and ivory sculptures.
Bran Castle,Brasov
This fortified medieval castle, often referred to as Dracula's Castle, was built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders. It also served as a customs station.
The castle's rooms and towers surround an inner courtyard. Some rooms are connected through underground passages to the inner court. In 1920, the people of Brasov
who owned the castle offered it as a gift to Queen Maria of Romania, and the castle soon became her favorite residence.
Bran is home to a rich collection of Romanian and foreign furniture and art items from the 14th-19th Centuries. The castle sits high atop a 200 ft. tall rock
overlooking the picturesque village of Bran. On the grounds below there is an open-air ethnographic museum of old village buildings with exhibits of furniture,
household objects and costumes.
