Not far from the Herăstrău Park in the plush Primăverii neighbourhood is a compelling slice of 20th-century Romanian history.

With tours available by booking a day in advance, the Palatul Primăverii was the gaudy residence for the notorious dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

This 80-room palace was built in the 1960s, and came with a winter garden, wine cellar, silk wallpaper, valuable art, expensive furniture, a large swimming pool, bathrooms with solid gold fittings and even a cinema.