Luxurious Peles Castle in Romania. Peles Castle - Romanian palace in Sinaia Peles Castle Romania on the map

The weather in the mountains has two news in store for us. The good thing is that the views, thanks to the low-lying clouds, were just like illustrations to Bram Stoker.. And the bad thing is that the clouds and views were accompanied by a fair amount of rain, which was not conducive to walking.

The rain, upon approaching Sinai, turned into a real flood. Therefore, despite the breathtaking views, we, having trotted to the palace, preferred to immediately begin examining the interior :)

The palace was built at the end of the 19th century, remarkably preserved during the years of communism, despite the fact (or because) Ceausescu did not like it and never used it as a personal residence. Now it is open to tourists.

At the entrance, we willingly put on dry museum shoe covers and shuffled inside :)

The inside of Peles Castle is somewhat overwhelming. A mass of dark wood, all surfaces are covered with carvings and decorated with numerous bas-reliefs and sculptures.

The ceiling in the large hall immediately reminded us of the glass ceilings of the Palace of Parliament. Edward, confirming our observation, said that the ceilings in the Parliament were made according to his model, and the design of the ceiling in Peles, despite its age, is even more perfect, allowing it to move apart for ventilation.

Now the Palace is in the process of transferring it to its rightful, historical owner - King Michael, heir to the Romanian dynasty of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...

The castle has completely preserved its furnishings, including a collection of weapons with more than 4,000 exhibits!

Among them is a complete set of armor for a mounted knight...

And the oldest set of armor seems to be from the 14th century.

The collection includes samples of Western and (probably trophy! ;)) Eastern weapons - combat, hunting and even ritual.

But the rooms of the castle are not limited to the armory. Here, for example, is the castle library.

Here, behind one of the shelves there is a secret passage to the king's boudoir. You can't see him in the photo - he's secret! :)

Music salon. Here, among other celebrities, we already knew from Bucharest, George Enescu, visited the royal couple.

A suite of halls for ceremonial receptions. The Florentine hall is decorated with luxurious Murano crystal chandeliers.

Dining room in German style. A fully served table awaits the royal banquet :)

The Moorish Hall with a collection of oriental weapons closes the enfilade.

The Turkish hall is a smoking room.

Instead of a home cinema - a modest home royal theater!

While we were exploring the castle, the rain subsided slightly.

Everything on the patio is guarded by dogs!

We really wanted to take a walk in the garden, but the rain kept coming back, pushing us forward. We had to limit ourselves to the view from the terrace and make short dashes to the Peleshor Palace, located very nearby.

Peleshor Castle was built by order of King Charles I, for his heir, the future King Ferdinand and his wife, Queen Mary. It is less luxurious than Peles, since we had nowhere to rush, and it made sense to postpone exploring the streets of Brasov until better weather, we decided to see Pelesor from the inside.

For some reason, in my mind, Romania has always been associated with dragons. In the lobby of the castle we met the first (of two :)) Romanian dragon... True, he was no longer in the best shape...

There is a lot in this castle that bears the memory of its former owner, Queen Mary.

Peleshor Castle is not at all as pompous as its older brother. Many modest rooms in a style reminiscent of art nouveau are open for inspection, looking much more comfortable than the halls of Peles. I won’t bore you with a bunch of photos of the decor, I’ll limit myself to just the two rooms we liked the most.

Queen Mary Studio. One of the rooms that retains the presence of the owner. Not a ghost, which is required for a Gothic castle, but simply an image of a living real woman...

The most luxurious room of the castle is the Golden Room. All walls are covered with solid gilded carvings. On the ceiling there is a Celtic cross - the symbol of Queen Mary. According to her wishes, the last hours of her life passed in this room.

And here it is :) Looking ahead, I will say that he showed himself to be an excellent organizer, guide and translator, for which he repeatedly suffered for us in many museums, castles and even in supermarkets!

After visiting Pelesor, we went to check into the hotel where we planned to stay for the entire duration of our stay in Romania. You can take a look at Vila Krokus, find out if the continuous rain has stopped tormenting us and go with us on a trip to Southern Bukovina!
And if you want to take a better look at the surroundings of the castle, you can do it with our friend offreal in his story about Sinai and Peles!

In this entry:
Rain and "Transylvanian" landscape.
State halls of Peles.
Home comfort of Peleshor.

Peles Castle in Romania (royal palace of Carol I) is a historical monument in the neo-Renaissance style, built between 1873-1914. It is located near the city of Sinaia, on the way from Transylvania to Wallachia.

The spacious castle of King Carol I was designed by a group of architects - Schulz, Benes and Liman; German and Austrian masters worked on its decoration.

This architectural monument is also known as the first castle in the world with electricity. Simultaneously with its construction, the adjacent territory was being developed: utility rooms and a power station were being built, and a park ensemble was being designed.

Part of the complex is also the Art Nouveau castle of Pelisor, built in 1899-1903 as a summer residence for the family of the royal nephew Ferdinand I.

Museum at Peles Castle in Sinaia

The castle became accessible to tourists as a museum in 1953. Between 1975 and 1990, under Nicolae Ceausescu, the complex was temporarily closed to the public.

Currently, Peles Castle in Sinaia receives almost 500 thousand tourists every year. Its exhibition area covers an area of ​​3200 sq. m includes over 4,000 thousand items - mainly historical weapons and armor, not counting impressive artworks, carpets, tapestries, furniture, paintings and sculptures. Of the 168 palace rooms, 35 are accessible to visitors.

The park ensemble of the former royal palace includes Italian terraces with intricately decorated fountains and exquisite statues, and a monument to Carol I.

Peles Castle opening hours

• Monday-Tuesday: closed
• Wednesday: 11:00 - 16:15
• Thursday-Sunday: 9:15 - 16:15

• Monday: closed
• Tuesday: 09:00 - 16:15 (visiting on the first floor only)
• Wednesday: 11:00 - 16:15
• Thursday-Sunday: 09:15 - 16:15

How to get to Peles Castle

To get to Peles from Bucharest or Brasov, you need to drive to Sinaia. The optimal transport from Brasov is buses running every 1.5-2 hours. Regular trains depart from Bucharest Gara de Nord railway station to Sinaia. From Sinaia station you can get to the place by taxi, bus or on foot, but it is worth considering that you will need to walk uphill.

Google panoramas of Peles Castle

Video of Peles Castle

Situated at the foot of Mount Bucegi in the picturesque town of Sinaia, Peles Castle (Romania) is a masterpiece of German New Renaissance architecture, and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful castles in Europe.

After Peles, it is considered the second most visited museum in the country. In 2006 alone, two hundred and fifty thousand visitors from the countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as the United States of America, Australia, Japan and New Zealand crossed its threshold.

The importance of the castle is also emphasized by the existing security measures - the presence of a large number of guards and video cameras.

Short story

Construction of Peles Castle began in 1873 by order of King Carol I, under the direct supervision of the Viennese architect Wilhelm Doderer, and continued until 1876 with his assistant Johann Schulz de Lemberg. During the war (1877-1879), builders refused to work. Therefore, the castle was opened only on October 7, 1883. It was supposed to serve as the summer residence of the royal family. Until 1947, he performed this function.

(photo above) became the first European castle to have heating and electricity. His own power plant was located on the banks of Peles Brook.

The castle occupies three thousand two hundred square meters, and the height of each tower is sixty-six meters.

Castle interior

Peles Castle has one hundred and sixty fully furnished rooms. This includes bedrooms, an armory, libraries, offices, game rooms (for playing cards), thirty bathrooms, a hookah room, galleries, tea rooms, children's playrooms, conference rooms, breakfast rooms, dining rooms, kitchens. And that's just the main part.

Each of these rooms, as well as the halls and hallways, are decorated in an individual style. Therefore, when you walk around the castle, you don’t even know what style awaits you behind the next door. Decor ideas were taken from Turkish, Venetian, Florentine, French, Moorish and other styles.

The interior of the castle is amazing with spiral staircases, internal balconies, massively decorated mirrors, countless statues, doors that are hidden inside cabinets, a glass roof that opens in summer, and so on.

Today, only about ten rooms out of the total number can be visited by tourists.

What can tourists see on an excursion?

The first room you enter is the lobby. Its walls are decorated with carved walnut panels.

1. Royal Library. A collection of rare valuable books is collected and stored here, some even with leather covers with engraved gold letters. Also in the library, in one of the cabinets, there is a secret door through which, according to legend, the king could get into different rooms of the castle.
2. Music room. All the furniture that furnished the room was a gift from the Maharaja of Kapurthala.
3. The recreation room, called the Florentine, impresses with its carved linden ceiling, two gilded chandeliers and Italian neo-Renaissance decorations. The doors for it were specially ordered and brought from Rome.
4. A meeting room that resembles one of the city hall rooms in
5. An office with an impressive size desk.
6. Dining room. It is decorated in a rustic British eighteenth century style.
7. Guest room in Turkish style. Within its walls is a collection of Turkish and Persian brass pots. Previously, it served as a place to relax and smoke a pipe.
8. A bedroom that is illuminated by a chandelier.
9. The auditorium seats sixty, which is decorated in the French style of the times of Louis XIV. Since 1906 it has become a home cinema. The ceiling paintings and decorative frescoes were painted by famous Austrian artists Gustav Klimt and Franz Matsch.
10. Moorish living room. It received this name due to the fact that it is decorated in a mixed style - Spanish-Moorish and North African. The interior of the living room is somewhat reminiscent of the Alhambra Palace in Grande (Andalusia).

Some rooms and corridors are decorated with stunning stained glass windows, which were purchased and installed between 1883 and 1914. Most were brought from Switzerland and Germany.

Tourists can also stroll along seven terraces, which are decorated with stone sculptures, marble fountains and decorative flower pots.

Tourists are also invited to take a walk in the castle grounds. The style of landscape design has remained the same, and numerous fountains still operate today.

Armory

The armory, which is called the hall of European weapons, deserves special attention. All the weapons that are located here are decorated with gold, silver, corals and various precious stones. The hall was built from 1903 to 1906, and it is decorated in the neo-Renaissance style.

In total, the collection contains more than four thousand pieces of hunting equipment, military weapons and knightly equipment. All this was collected between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. Tourists can get acquainted with such weapons and uniforms as chain mail armor, helmets, scimitars, daggers, spears, muskets, pistols, shields, axes and so on.

Some items were received as gifts from India from the King-Emperor's many friends.

Working hours

You can visit Peles Castle (Romania), the photo of which is presented below, on the following days and times:

• from June to September - from Tuesday to Sunday (from 10 am to 16 pm), day off - Monday;
• from October to May - from Wednesday to Sunday (from 10 am to 16 pm), days off - Monday and Tuesday.

The museum is closed in November.

Location

The address where Peles Castle is located is Sinaia, Peleselni Street 2, Wallachia, Southern Romania.

Nearest major cities:

• Brasov is 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the north;
• Bucharest is 129 kilometers (80 miles) to the south.

The nearest train station is Sinai.

Entrance fees:

• general - 20 lei;
• pensioners - 10 lei;
• students - 5 lei.

An additional fee is charged for photo and video shooting: 30 and 50 lei, respectively.

It is better to check all prices at the ticket office, which is located right at the entrance to the castle.

Peles Castle was built in 1873 by order of King Carol I of Romania. He chose Sinaia for the construction of his summer residence - the place was wild, but very picturesque

The name of the castle was given by a beautiful mountain river flowing here. According to the wishes of King Carol and Queen Elisabeth (whose real name was Carmen Silva), the architects Wilhelm Doder from Vienna and Johann Schulz from Lviv used a mixture of styles. The main construction of the castle began in 1875 under their leadership.

The official opening of the castle took place on October 7, 1883. The castle is dominated by the features of the German neo-Renaissance: vertical and sharp towers, asymmetry of construction, an abundance of carved wood and full compliance with the surrounding landscape. There are also other styles: Italian Renaissance, German Baroque, Rococo, as well as Spanish and Turkish styles. Architects used numerous decorative elements made of wood to decorate both the exterior and interior of the castle. These elements give it a special beauty.

The stained glass windows also look amazing, forming a single ensemble with decorative elements of that era. The system of sliding ceiling stained glass windows on the upper floor, through which the castle was ventilated, is still in operation

The main value of the palace is considered to be unique wood carvings, which amaze with their splendor and elegance.

Each of the 160 rooms of Peles Castle is unique in its own way. The decoration of the Florentine room is made of ebony wood. The Turkish room is made of silk. The French room is designed in the style of Louis IV. Also very interesting are the Theater Room (in 1906, it was here that the first film projection in Romania took place), the Concert and Study Rooms, the Royal Apartments, the Library and the Living Room. Of particular beauty are: Entrance Hall, Armory Hall, Reception Hall (where paintings and wooden models depicting 16 castles of the Hohenzollern dynasty are exhibited) Dining Room Imperial Apartment Council Hall, Florentine Hall, Concert Hall.../p>

The furniture is represented by original pieces from the 16th to 20th centuries, which are characterized by various styles of European and Oriental decorative art, many of them handmade by order of the royal family in famous European workshops of the 19th century. The fireplace in the Great Room is the only decoration of the castle, because... It has had central heating since 1883. But that's not all - after all, Peles Castle became the first building in Europe and the second in the world to have an elevator installed.

Specifics Peles Castle are emphasized by the original ceiling paintings, which completely repeat in a mirror image the pattern of the carpet on the floor. The carpets, in turn, were hand-woven by the best craftsmen in Romania.

From Sinaia to the castle there is a road along the mountainside. Trees surround the road on all sides. On the other side of the road there is a mountain river.

The palace is surrounded by 7 terraces decorated with sculptures, fountains and plants. The palace tower has a height of 66m.

Terrace of Peles Castle

And some more photos of Peles Castle

Castle terraces.

The first changes to the original appearance of Peles Castle were made by the Czech architect Karel Liman, who supervised the construction until the death of the king. King Carol died at Peles Castle in 1914. King Ferdinand and Queen Mary died here

And one of the most beautiful in Europe. The former residence of the Romanian monarchs was equipped with all the technical innovations of the last century: telephone communications, a cinema, two elevators, central heating. It was also the first fully electrified one.

Myths and facts

At the end of the 19th century, Romania became a kingdom, uniting the three principalities of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova. The German prince Carol I from the Hohenzollern dynasty was invited to rule the state. They say that he liked the surrounding landscapes of Sinai so much, reminiscent of his native land, that he decided to build a summer residence here.

The demanding ruler rejected several projects that, in his opinion, were not very original. As a result, the work of the architect I. Schultz was chosen and construction began.

The castle was built from 1873 to 1914 (including finishing work). In total, about $120 million was spent on the project. The palace was named Peles (translated as “belt”) - after the name of the river flowing nearby.

In 1883, a ball was held on the occasion of the prince’s inauguration, and in 1893 his son, Carol II, was born here.

Peles Castle served as a royal residence until 1947, when it, along with other royal property, was confiscated by the communists who came to power. In 1953, a museum was located in the complex, and in 1975-1989 it was a closed area intended for recreation and official meetings of the Romanian ruler Ceausescu.

Since 1990, the palace was open to tourists, and in 2008 it was returned to the ownership of the royal family - the former King of Romania, Michael I. After negotiations between him and the government, the latter bought Peles for a decent amount of 30 million euros. Nowadays there is a museum here, and the building itself is considered a historical monument.

What to see

In terms of structure and functions, Peles is more likely a palace, but it is traditionally called. It was built in the neo-Renaissance style with Baroque elements. The area of ​​the structure is 3200 m2, and the height of its towers is 66 m.

The internal “filling” is a mix of all possible styles: German Renaissance, Rococo. They say that a tour of the palace is a mini-trip through the countries of Europe and Asia. 160 rooms (30 of them are bathrooms) have their own unique interior.

The highest room is the front lobby with a height of 16 m. The hall is a copy of the German Chamber of Commerce in Lübeck. It is decorated with wood and bas-reliefs made of marble plaster, depicting biblical, mythological and historical scenes. Interestingly, the glass ceiling of the hall is still moved apart using an electric motor for ventilation.

In the hall of European weapons there is a collection of the 15th-19th centuries; the exhibition includes 4,000 items - this is one of the richest collections in Europe.

Medieval weapons are also on display in the hall of oriental weapons. The rich interiors include the king's study, a meeting room, music, Moorish and Florentine rooms. The handmade wooden carvings, original stained glass windows (the richest collection of stained glass windows in Romania), collections of valuable paintings, tapestries and statues are impressive.

The castle is surrounded by a landscaped park with terraces. Nearby are the Pelisor Palace and the Sinaia Monastery