Cotroceni Palace, Bucharest

Cotroceni Palace (Romanian: Palatul Cotroceni) is the official residence of the President of Romania.

The Cotroceni National Museum is the old Royal Palace, built in 1895. In 1991 the palace became the headquarters of the Romanian Presidency and the old wing of the ensemble was opened to the public as Cotroceni National Museum, envisioned as an insight into past ages.

Many of the palace's function rooms were decorated to the taste of Marie, the English wife of Carol's heir, his nephew Crown Prince Ferdinand. Her extensive art collection is also on display.

Comprising approximately 20,000 objects, the collection of the Cotroceni National Museum has been continuously enriched through transfers from other institutions and museums (The National Commission for Administrating State Heritage, The Peles National Museum, the National Arts Museum of Romania) and particularly through acquisitions and generous private donations.

Visiting hours are Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The church can be visited with no prior reservation, from Wednesday to Saturday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM and on Sunday, the Liturgy can be attended. Visits are made only within a guided tour. There are two types of tours: the "classic" tour takes 60 minutes and includes the first and second floors, while the "complete" tour, which lasts 100 minutes, also includes the medieval areas of the Palace, the church and the cellars. Visiting the church does not require a reservation. Museum reservations, meanwhile, have to be made 48 hours beforehand.