Palace of Parliament, Bucharest

The dictator of Communist Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu, commissioned this extremely controversial 12 floor palace in 1984 to be used as a government building and a secure residence for himself and his wife. It displaced 40,000 people from their homes and used 20,000 forced labourers. All the materials needed were produced in Romania, amongst which: 1,000,000 cbm of marble, 550,000 tons of cement, 700,000 tons of steel, 2,000,000 tons of sand, 1,000 tons of basalt, 900,000 cbm rich wood, 3,500 tons of crystal, 200,000 cbm of glass, 2,800 chandeliers, 220,000 sqm carpets, 3,500 sqm leather at a time when the Romanian economy was on its knees.  But the fall of communism in 1989 meant Ceaușescu never lived to see it finished.  It’s still used by the Parliament of Romania, and there are three museums and an international conference centre, but 70% of the building is still unused. Take a tour to admire the grandeur of high ceilings, the mammoth intricately carved doors, never-ending marble floors and massive chandeliers. Before you leave, saunter out on the balcony overlooking the ‘Champs Elysees’ of Bucharest, once used by Michael Jackson who famously expressed his happiness at being in ‘Budapest’.