Bucharest being known as the "Little Paris of the East"

Bucharest is where traders met and travelers have mingled since the 15th century.

There are pristine city parks, excellent museums and gritty yet charming lanes that weave through the Old Town.

The vast Palace of the Parliament

This architectural colossus wins many plaudits, including heaviest building in the world, the largest building in Europe, nearly four million square feet and one thousand rooms and the world's second-largest administrative building after the Pentagon.

A night at the Romanian Athenaeum means enjoying the Romanian George Enescu Philharmonic in one of the most stately 19th-century buildings in Bucharest.

Resembling an ancient Greek temple with a 41-meter-high dome, its interiors are an intricate weave of gold leaf, marble balconies and wide, spiral stairs.

In the concert hall itself, an intricate 70-meter-long and three-meter-high fresco depicting Romania's history will compete with the philharmonic's performance for your attention.

Built in the 18th century, the Stavropoleos Church is tiny, peaceful and beautiful. Built in Brancoveanu style it features an intricately carved and columned entrance. Fine stone and wood carvings and a combination of Romanian and Byzantine elements can be admired in the Greek Orthodox church's interior.

Bucharest is swathed in beautiful parks. The oldest, designed in the mid-XIX century, is Cismigiu Gardens.

Or there is the 400-acre Herastrau Park which features an open-air theater, as well as public recreation areas.

Boat rentals are available on the lake every summer. Completed in 1906, Carol Park is considered the prettiest.