Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest

A vast neo-Gothic building on the bank of the Danube, completed in 1904, with 691 rooms and a great central dome, the symbol of Budapest. Guided tours show the Grand Staircase, the Dome Hall, where the Holy Crown of Hungary is guarded, and the old upper house chamber.

Tours sell out; book online. The best views of the building are from across the river at the Batthyány Square or Buda Castle, especially lit up at night. Just south along the river, the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial honours Jews shot here in 1944–45.