Peleş Castle  is a romantic castle in Sinaia, Romania, built between 1873 and 1883, and is considered by some to be the most beautiful in Europe and in the world.

        On 22 August, 1875, the foundation for Peleş Castle, the city of Sinaia, and indeed for the country of Romania itself was established. The construction site, the Peleş Creek Valley, was bought on this date by ruler Carol I (Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1866-81, later King of Romania 1881-1914). Several other buildings, annexed to the castle, were built simultaneously: The Guard's Chambers, The Economat Building, The Foişor Hunting House, The Royal Stables, and the Electrical Power Plant. The "Sipot" Villa was constructed later. This would serve as the work site of architect Karel Liman. Liman would later supervise the building of Pelişor (1889-1903, the future residence of King Ferdinand and Queen Mary of Romania), as well as of the King's Ferdinand Vila in the Royal Sheepfold Meadow .

        Until the completion in 1883 of Peleş Castle, King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth lived in Foişor Villa (where King Ferdinand and Queen Mary also resided during the construction of Pelişor Castle). Even King Carol II lived in Foişer Villa when he was King of Romania (1930-40, except in 1932-3 when the hunting house was destroyed by fire).

        Peleş Castle was designed in the neo-Renaissance style, first by German architect Wilhelm Doderer and later by Johannes Schultz (1876-1883). Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman. It was originally used as the summer residence of the royal family. It also serves as the burial site of King Carol I after his death in 1914.

        Peleş Castle has over 170 rooms, unlike Pelişor Castle which has only 70. Worthy of mention is the fact that Peleş Castle is the first European castle entirely lit by electrical current. This was possible because electricity was produced by its own electrical plant which was located on the bank of Peleş creek.

        It is also important to know that Peleş Castle shelters one of the most important and most valuable painting collections in Europe, almost 2,000 pieces. After King Michael's forced abdication by the communists in 1947 the whole Peleş complex except the homonymous castle which was opened for tourism became, for a short time, a creation and resting place for Romanian cultural personalities. During the last years of the communist regime, Nicolae Ceauşescu closed the entire area. The only persons accepted in this area were maintenance and military guard personnel. The whole area was declared a state protocol interest area.

It is interesting to note that Ceauşescu did not like the castle very much and visited rarely. After the December 1989 Revolution, Peleş and Pelişor Castles were re-integrated into the tourism circuit. At this moment, The Foişor Castle remains - like in the past times - a presidential residence, unlike the Economat Building and the Guard's Chambers Building where hotels, restaurants and terraces have been established. The other components of Peleş complex became either tourism villas or state protocol buildings. Still, the most interesting account about Peleş Castle remains the one that comes from Angelo de Gubernatis (1840-1913), an Italian writer, who arrived in 1898 in Sinaia, as a guest of the Royal Family:

        Inaugurated in 1883, Peleş Castle is not only a pleasant place during summer time; it has been conceived to be also a national monument, meant to keep the trophies of the Plevna victory, which explains the simple but majestic style. The castle's courtyard - Bramantes type - with a fountain in the middle, in the most accurate Renaissance style, pleasantly surprises the visitor. The courtyard has a merry decoration, made out of plants and flowers; all round, the building's facades are animated by elegant drawings. The interior of the castle is a true wonder, due to the beauty and richness of the sculpted wood and the stained glass windows. As you get in the vestibule, you are on the Honor Staircase, in front of the most important rulers of old Romania: Holy Stephen the Great, and Michael the Brave. In a proud attitude, wearing whether a fur cap or with the gold crown on their heads, they impress through the brilliant dressing, in which the white of ermine blends with the emerald green or the red of the large mantle. On the right and on left side of the two rulers, as servant knights, four shield bearers carry the Romanian Provinces escutcheons. Inside the Queen's library, over the groups of children symbolizing poetry and science, there is the image of Ulfilas (311-383 a.d.) a Goth religious ruler, from the northem side of Danube River, translating the Bible in their language and bringing his contribution in spreading Christianity, a Christian apostle of the Romans, and the image of Dante Alighieri, the creator of western poetry. Passing the library and getting into the dormitory, we will meet the image of Genies and Allegories of Painting and Music, as well as a series of legendary themes. Inside the apartments reserved for the honor guests, a number of coat-of-arms were shining through their heraldic abundance, speaking about the ancestors of the Royal Family. But among all, the glass paintings from the Peleş Castle are, beyond any doubt, the most profound and shining. Here, the subjects are taken out of Alecsandri's poetry.

After a couple of days in grey Bucharest, we rented a car and drove up north, heading for Transilvania. The drive up north becomes exciting once passing the suburbs of Bucharest. About 4 hours after leaving the capital we've reached the lovely village of Sinaia, a ski resort laying between the Carpat mountain.

Out of season, it's safe to arrive at Sinaia without booking. We drove across the village, walked into a cousy looking B&B and the friendly hostess was happy to show us around. The price was very affordable (I would say no more than 30 Euros each), the place was clean and had a huge tab, heating and cable tv, great value!

After strolling around the village we visited the information centre (main road) and got directions for recommended hikes in the nearby Carpat.

At night we drove to the upper parts of Sinaia for a lovely dinner at a Serbian resaurant. On the way out we ran across a family of brown bears who came for a visit in the village. We've heard that the owner of the restaurant feeds them bread every evening and so your bound to run across them if you come for dinner.

The nature reserve bordering Sinaia has a number of bears which you may run into while hiking in the mountains, but don't let it bother you! If they come, just stand still and think happy thoughts :)

After leaving Bran, we had to drive for a bit to get to Sinaia where Peleş and Pelişor were.  In our mini-bus were: 10 BYU students, they had just spent a few months in Iaşi working at a hospital (basically like an orphanage) and were about to head back to the States; a guy from Adelaide, Australia spending a year touring Europe before heading back to school (Pharmacology, if I remember correctly); a teacher from England but working in Ankara, Turkey; a man from London (he's the one that was snoring so loudly my first night in Braşov); a couple, he from Dublin and she from Paris; and of course me.  Interestingly, I remember all their locations, but only 2 of their names.

When we arrived at Peleş, there was only an hour left of normal opening hours, but we soon found out that they closed exactly one hour early on this day.  So we got to see the exterior, but not inside.  Beautiful castle, and the haystacks you see in the lawn, they are ALL over the place in Romania, they all have that same look.

Our day started with a nice hike in the Carpat (take the "telecabina" to the top of the mountain from a near by village), all the way to a huge cross looking over Sinaia valley.

Note that it gets very cold at the top, take a warm coat with you.

The area offers a range of day walks as well as longer tracks. Unfrotunetly, we did not come ready for that but I highly reccomend taking the time for a longer walk - the carpat is abosolutely amazing! In the information centre you can find a map showing all walking trails and huts where you can spend the night in.

The last stop of today's tour is Sinaia with the Peles Castles. And it will be open today so I will actually get to go in and see the place. I get there and it is amazing - this is definitely the highlight of the entire day - I am really glad I ended up getting here in the end.

The outside of the castle is pretty like a bit of a fairytale castle but the inside is sooooo extravagant that you can hardly believe it. The inside is decorated with all sorts of expensive materials - be it the wood they choose, the marble or mother of Perl. This place is build around the turn of the 19th and 20th century and most have cost an obscene amount of money to build.

When you think about the living standard of the common people in Eastern Europe around this time you kind of understand why there where revolutionary movements going on in the workers class leading the road to the Russian revolution a few years later. This use of resources for the royal family of a poor country is sort of offensive. Then I can't help to think about Ceauşescu he visited this place and where inspired to model a few of the halls in his Palace of the People (currently Palace of Parliament) after this place here. He also used an obscene amount of money in a period of time when his people lived in poverty - this also ended in a violent revolution the bloodiest revolution of the year 1989 in all of Eastern Europe.

Well this was indeed the highlight of the day and a very good last stop before heading back to Brasov. There is now a slow bus ride back - everything goes pretty slow on the Romanian country roads - even the main highway to Bucharest.

I am leaving Bucharest in the morning to go a bit north to Sinaia a small town which is the home to some of the most famous castles in Romania. The trip gives me the first introduction to Romanian trains. They come in 5 different variants which also describes 4 different kinds of speeds of the trains some are called express and intercity trains. In reality the speed could better be described as slow, very slow, extremely slow and unbelievable slow. I get into one of the extremely slow ones and start making some progress towards Sinaia.

When I get to the train station I am greeted by two men who ask me if I need accommodation since I got nothing planed I say yes and we agree on a price. Then we started walking a bit down the road my guide to the place is a pretty old man who speaks no English and walks really slowly - a lot slower than I would like despite the fact I am actually carrying some luggage.

We get to one place and nobody answer the doorbell. He walks on to the next place - same result. Then one more place with no one home. Finally he takes me to a hotel - where the rate is 20 lei (about 5$) more than agreed. I tell him to go away and I will find somewhere else - but he insist on following me and suddenly he can move a lot faster than before. We get into a house - which we had just past on the way to the hotel. There is an old lady home. And he talks to her and once more tries to increase the price over the agreed amount. I am just about to walk out when the price magically drops and I pay the lady. Then my guide ask for a tip of 10 lei for his services which I have no intention of paying him and I am just about to take my money back walk out again when he drops the claim and walks outside with the old lady who I presume pays him something for bringing m to her.

The room I got is ok it is pretty old fashion which is natural considering it is the private room in a house of a old lady - a bit more worrisome is that it is actually freezing cold which I did not notice at first - but the old lady turns on the heat - probably for the first time this winter and temperature starts to rise from about 10 Celsius.

After being well settled (which took about 2 minutes) I walked out to go to the castles in the city there is two very famous castles built around the turn of the 19th and 20th century. I walk up the hill which is a short walk from where I stay and get to the entrance. At the entrance I realize that the castles are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays as well. Great there is no way I can get in and go on a tour. I walk around and get to the gate of the Peles castles where the guard say I can not go in - after I tell him I wont be back he say he will let me walk around for 10 lei on the outside for 15 minutes - considering the tours inside the castles is 15 lei I think he is exploiting the situation a bit too much and I say no and go back somewhat disappointed. But I guess if had actually read a bit closer in the Lonely Planet I would have noticed it actually state that the castles is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

I walk down from the castles and on the road I pass the Sinaia monastery and go in and have a look it is a very nice little building on the road to town. The houses in the town are actually quite interesting they don't really look Eastern European but remind me of Germany. This is not all that surprising given there where a lot of Germans living nearby until a few decades ago.

Our first station was at Sinaia.We just wanted to see the Pelles Castle which seems to be the main atraction,but as it proved it worth the time we spend around place even with carrying our suit cases all along.We walked....and we walked a lot! 

I would say that Sinaia is a very clean small town, perfectly match with the landscape worth the time to look around.The style of the buldings in combination with the old forest surround ithe town (which is "painted" purple (?!!) in the evening) gives a perfect goth image (yeeeeah!!!). Although we didn't spend the day there i think that Sinaia is a good place for short holydays since it combines relax ,sports (ski),sights ,lot of nature and warm people.

I have seen a castle before but the Pele castle is the best ...so far.Its a wonderful German Barock style castel surrounded by the beautiful forest.It started to buit 1873 and completed in 1914.So its relatively new ,it even has a central heating system and it is the first castle fully operated with electric power (even had a vacum cleaner.... thats  we were told)!!!!!!!The fun part is that the owner ( King Carol 1) never saw it fully complete so....it was inherit from his wife.......lucky she!!!!

If you ever diside to visit Romania you must definetly go to Sinaia.

I have to admit that my first impression for romania was awfull...and then we went to Sinaia....Sinaia is one of the most beautiful places to visit in romania.Unfortunately we where too tired carrying our luggages (actually kanaris carried our stuff ...hehehe..the luggage boy) all the way up to  the Pelles castle, to relax and enjoy the great buildings and the nature....Its one of the places that if i ever go back to romania,definetely i ll stay there...So If you ever go to Sinaia,if its winter you should go to the ski center,if its summer a walk through the town and the castle will be great...There is also a great orthodox monastery to visit amd lots of beautiful buildings to take picture and hotels to stay....!!!!

that place was not scheduled! but hopefully we saw it! we got very tired cause we were carrying our suit cases with us (the place is on the mountain (hehehe) but it worth it! the best place i saw in romania!!!

i dont know if i should call it a little town, a village or just a place that someone passes by to go for ski! it was beautifil... all the buildings, the landscape & of course the 'pelles castle'. ive never been to a castle before thats why i was so amazed or maybe is one of the best! its new (started to build it in 1875 & they finished it in around 1920's) the firts castle that has a system of central heating... many important people had stayed there as guests of romanian politics... through the years! we saw only the basement & not the 1st floor as well (it was preety expensive) but it was more than enough for me...!

This was a trip at my gparents , they live in Sinaia...and here D
tried first time to snowboard...he he was pretty cool..
Oh ya and i took some shoots  at some lovely birds.

Who says girls cant snowboard???? We love to snowboard and ski........cheers everyone snowboard time just started and is snowing!!!!!!!!!!!YEAH good times are comeing!

12 October 2007!! The first snow came into mountaines and also in the resort. Let's see how well the snow can resist at high altitude. Even if this round melts, its is a good reminder to check the gear...winter is close!! The work at the new gondola is progressing well, hence we look forward to an exciting winter season.
Sinaia's ski slopes are situated at 2000m altitude. Here u can experience the best high atitude ski in Romania. A great place for downhill ski. snowboard, telemark...with many off-piste possibilities and plenty of powder. The access to the slopes is possible from the city center , by taking the first cable car to Cota 1400 and then a second cable car from cota 2000.

Well happy skiing people, hope to make it this year also and have some fun with D!