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  "path": "/places/snail-parliament",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-14T14:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.atlasobscura.com",
  "tags": [
    "models",
    "miniatures"
  ],
  "textContent": "The seat of Hungarian Parliament and home to the crown jewels is often referred to as the jewel on the Danube and with good reason. It is a stunning piece of neo-Gothic architecture from 1906 and was inspired by, but far outshines, the Houses of Parliament in London. It is a gorgeously ornate building both inside and out, and it is an iconic location in central Budapest.\n\nOne woman was so enamoured with the building that she decided to construct a 7.5 by 2 meter replica in the basement of a building in the town of Keszthely, on the northern shores of Lake Balaton.\n\nIlona Miskei began construction of the scale model in 1975 and continued adding 4 and a half million snail shells over a 14 year period. The finished product is a remarkable passion product that also happens to find a home for the many fossilised and mined seashells that remain from the ancient Pannon Sea (the remnants of which form Mainland Europes largest lake).\n\nThe level of detail on the model is incredible and you are able to walk around the construction with a ticket to the Museum of Keszthely complex which also houses the wholesome Doll Museum, Toy Museum, Waxworks and History Museum. It also houses the not-so-wholesome Torture Museum and the the Erotic Waxworks Museum!",
  "title": "Snail Parliament in Keszthely, Hungary"
}