Cotroceni Museum - Constructed in the 19th century for Queen Mary (1891-93) the palace has also played host to the Ceausescus (although they didn't live there, they did use it frequently for posh functions). The building itself is surrounded by the ruins of a church Ceauşescu had demolished because he thought it spoilt a view; at the end of the tour you see the inscription sitting over the door of the ruin cursing the head of whoever dared to destroy it. In between, the whims and inspirations of Queen Mary betray a prolific, charming executor of rather banal art. Visits by appointment only, and you will need ID.

Cotroceni Palace is a palace of Bucharest which is the residence of the President of Romania, located at Bulevardul Geniului, nr. 1.

On Cotroceni hill, in 1679 Şerban Cantacuzino built a monastery and this was the place where a palace was built by French architect Paul Gottereau for King Carol I of Romania in 1888.

In 1977, Nicolae Ceauşescu made the palace a guest house and the old church of Cantacuzino was demolished in 1985. Since 1991, it has been the residence of the Romanian President; also the National Cotroceni Museum is open to the public.

During the time when Ion Iliescu was president, the press reported that an owl had settled in the park which surrounds Cotroceni Palace. In Romanian folklore, an owl is said to be a funerary bird that announces the imminent death of somebody, as the hooting of the owl is likened to a mourning call. For this reason, it is alleged that a hunter was hired to shoot the owl.