Name: Peles Castle
Location: Sinai
Country: Romania
Review
this castle
It is apt that Romania's most exquisite castle should lie in the "Pearl
of the Carpatians. The magnificent royal palace, with its fairytale turrets and
pointed towers rising above acres of green meadows sprinkled with haystacks, was
built as a summer residence by Romania's longest serving monarch, King Carol I.
It was the first castle in Europe to have central heating and electricity.
During Ceausescu's era, its 160 rooms were used as a private retreat for leading
communists and statesmen from around the globe. US president Richard Nixon and
Gerald Ford, Libyan leader Moamar Gaddafi and PLO leader Yasser Arafat were all entertained
by the Romanian dictator in Pele's fanciful rooms, each furnished to reflect a
different European country.
Construction started on the 3500sq. metre edifice, built in a predominantly
German Renaissance style in 1875. The first part - where Carol lived- was
completed eight years later. More than 400 craftsmen labored on the palace which
finally completed 39 years later, just months before the king died 1914.
Rembrandt reproductions line the walls of the king's office while rows of
books in the library conceals a secret passage leading to the 2nd. floor of the
castle. There is a gallery of mirrors and the dining room has a leather clad
ceiling. Scenes from age old Romanian fairytales adorn the stained glass windows
in the poetry room
In the Florence hall, Michelangelo's reproductions hang below a ceiling
carved from glide linden wood. The Venetian room is equally impressive.
Peles castle remained closed from 1947 to 1975 when it was briefly opened as
a museum. fallowing the extensive renovation work it reopened in 1990.
| Michael Bodea, 20, from Canada, wrote: |
| The Bavarian fairy tale-like Peles
castle, built by king Karl (r. Carol) Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen of
Romania in 1883, together with its adjacent buildings including litle
Pelishor castle are a must for everyone that travels to Transylvania.
Located in the pintoresque Prahova Valley, in the spa town of Sinaia,
the castle and the adjacent buildings beautifully combines renaissance
and baroque style and the saxon style wooden framing. The castle
itself was built as a summer residence but is now a museum with
artifacts including medieval armory. The castle is open to public and
during the busy tourist season you will find yourself among crowds of
tourists. |
| Feruz Hunaish, 21, from Sweden, wrote: |
| Magnificent, well worth seeing, a
fairytale castle with cultural treasures |
| Mike Montgomery, 37, from Atlanta Georgia USA, wrote: |
| If you ever plan a trip to Romania, the Peles Palace in
Sinaia is a definite "must see". The palace and expansive
grounds are exquisite. Its setting in the Prahova Valley and the
surrounding Carpathian Mountains is breathtaking. When visiting, keep in
mind the upper floors of the palace are normally not open to the public,
however, most foreigners have an excellent chance of being invited to
tour the private apartments of the former royal family (an extra $5 tip
or so to the tour guide is well worth the opportunity). You can also buy
tickets to tour Pelisor, the gracious manor house where the royal family
lived while the main palace was being constructed. In addition, there
are quaint shops and a cafe in the former support buildings of the
palace. Subject to availability, there are villas available to rent on
the estate. The town of Sinai is a delightful summer and winter resort.
It is a great place to ski cheaply and there are many reasonable hotels. |
Have you visited a castle?
Do you know something about a castle?
If so, write something about it here.
Review this castle
