Europe

[Visited: July 2020]

On our way north, it would be our first taste of Transylvania: Peleș castle. We drive up the curvy road to the very end, where we park in a forest. We still cannot see our castle, and first pass Pelișor castle which is closed. Belonging to the Peleș complex, this is the smaller version. To us, it already looks like an impressive building with towers and several floors. It takes a short walk to reach the big one, which we are relieved to find open. We are even more happy to find out that we do not have to join a tour, as we have read: after a look at the murals on the walls of the inner courtyard, we enter the castle and do our own tour. This castle was designed with a mix of Neo-Renaissance and Gothic elements from both Italy and Germany, in the 1880s, but it blends in perfectly in Transylvania. The first thing to catch our eye is the immense stained glass window in the ceiling of the Grand Hall: it is richly decorated and lets in a refined light.
We walk up the stairs, following the fixed direction in which to visit. We walk through the Imperial Suite, the Grand Armoury where hundreds of arms and armoury are on display, the playhouse, library, and then we come to the Florentine Room. This is probably the most lavishly decorated of the rooms I have seen at Peleș castle. It has a unique marble fireplace, and has various elements from Italy to decorate the walls, and solid bronze doors from Rome. This is the only place where one of the many supervisors tells me I cannot take a picture. A little further on, I see the Moorish Salon and the Turkish parlour: simpler, smaller, and no one objecting when I take out my camera. The tour continues through bedrooms, passing sculptures and the spacious staircase, and brings us back to the Grand Hall.
By this time, my head is spinning of all the exquisite rooms and works of art I have seen. King Carol I, who commissioned Peleș castle and who achieved independence for Romania, selected artisans and specialists from Italy, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Greece, Czechia, and other countries to help build this special castle complex. It has hunting grounds around, and there is the Foișor hunting lodge, which was sometimes also used to accommodate visitors. After having seen the royal interior, it is time to walk around the well laid-out gardens; not just for the view, but also because it contains yet more sculptures, fountains. It is true that what is called a castle, in reality is much more a palace. For decades under the communist rule, Peleș castle was property of the state; it was returned to the royal family in 1997, with the former king stipulating that it should continue as a museum.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Peleș Castle (Romania). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Peleș Castle.
Read more about this site.
Book your hotel in Sinaia

Book a hotel near Peleș Castle, Sinaia, Romania with low prices for all kinds of hotels - without reservation fees.

Peleș Castle > Romania > Europe

[Visited: July 2020]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Book your hotel in Sinaia