Houses of Parliament, Cape Town, South Africa

Located in Cape Town, South Africa, the Houses of Parliament are made up of three separate buildings. They're pretty cool and tours are available too! (Photo credit: DeAgostini/Getty Images)

Around the world, countries have governments. And these governments meet. Sometimes in palaces and sometimes in parliaments. Sometimes their constituents agree with their policies and what goes on in those buildings, and sometimes they don’t.

Politics aside, these buildings are often works of wonder. From the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest, which is the largest building in all of Hungary, to the infamous Beehive, the building that houses the Executive Branch of New Zealand’s government, to our very own Capitol Hill, these structures are something at which we can all marvel.

In this time of major political discussion around the U.S., we bring you a listicle of some of the most beautiful and striking houses of government from around the world.

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1. The Hungarian Parliament, Budapest, Hungary

One of Hungary’s most famous landmarks, the Hungarian Parliament is one of Europe’s oldest parliament buildings. Perched on the east side of the Danube River in Pest, the structure was completed in 1904. The building is the tallest in Budapest and the largest in all of Hungary.

2. The Palace of Westminster, London, England

Situated along the River Thames (is it me or does Europe have a thing for parliaments and rivers?), the Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

3. The Capitol, Washington D.C., U.S.A.

The United States Capitol is the seat of the United States Congress, located on top of Capitol Hill. Construction began in 1793 and was completed in 1800.

4. The Reichstag, Berlin, Germany

Since 1999 the Reichstag it is once again the meeting place of the German parliament: the Bundestag – the constitutional and legislative body in Germany. The Reichstag originally opened in 1894, and the building goes hand in hand with the history of Germany during the last 120 years. Tourists can visit (for free, but need to book in advance) the glass dome of the Reichstag – one of the recommended attractions in Berlin. It was once used to house the Nazi government of the Third Reich.

5. Centre Block, Ottawa, Canada

The Parliament of Canada is the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The Centre Block is the main building, which houses the House of Commons and Senate chambers. The structure’s main architectural feature of Centre Block is the Peace Tower – a huge clock tower that stands in the middle of the building, at what can only be called the helm of Canada.

6. Binnenhof, The Hague, Netherlands

The Binnenhof is the oldest parliament building still in use in Europe, having been consistently in use since being built in the 13th century. The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings that were first built in the 13th century, and became the political center of the Dutch Republic in 1584. Today it is the meeting place of both houses of the Netherlands, as well as the office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of General Affairs.

7. The Palace of Parliament, Bucharest, Romania

The Palace is the largest parliament building in the world and, they say, the heaviest building in the world. The structure was completed in 1997, within 3 years of construction.

8. Houses of Parliament, Cape Town, South Africa

The Houses of Parliament of South Africa consists of three sections built in different times: original building from the end of the 19th century, second building from the 1920s, and the final building built in the 1980s. The complex houses the two houses of South Africa: the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

9. Beehive, Wellington, New Zealand

Resembling a literal beehive, The Beehive is the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings complex.

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Photographer Stefan Baumann travels around Europe to photograph beautiful, but crumbling locations that have been left to ruin to nature. (Stefan Baumann/ Media Drum World)