Peles Castle

One of the places with the highest tourist influx in Romania is Sinaia, an alpine town in the Prahova Valley that is known in the country for its medicinal waters, whose salts are appreciated for various treatments. To this must be added luxury hotels, casinos, ski slopes and the emblem of Sinaia: Peles Castle, a palace of Neo-Renaissance architecture with Saxon touches.

This former residence of the royal family, now transformed into a museum, is one of the most visited places in the country after Bran Castle (known as Dracula's Castle). In the following article we review its history and all the details to visit it.

History of Peles Castle

Located on the outskirts of the town, the name of the castle can give us the impression that it does not fit the real structure of the building since it does not appear to have a defensive function. In fact, it was not built in the Middle Ages but in the XNUMXth century as a summer residence for King Charles I of Romania and his wife Elizabeth of Wiedn.

With this castle, the king wanted to amaze the European court with a mixture of modernity and luxury that did not leave indifferent. The works began in 1873 but the complex was not completed until 1914. It was one of the first castles on the continent to have central heating, electricity, lift, sewerage and telephone.

At the end of the 40s of the last century, the property of Peles Castle passed into the hands of the communist regime and was turned into a museum in the 50s. Its doors remained closed between 1975 and 1990.

After a long dispute, in 2007, the heirs of the Romanian monarchy recovered the Peles Castle and rented it back to the State to continue operating it as a national museum.

Visit to Peles Castle

Peles Castle is spectacular both inside and out. Mix different styles such as Neo-Baroque, Neo-Renaissance, Oriental or Rococo and a tour of the castle allows us to know all of them.

The basic tour takes place on the ground floor and is the most striking as it includes all the large areas of the castle, except the private rooms. You can pay an extra to add the first floor tour to the basic tour.

The visit begins with the Hall of Honor, one of the most beautiful places in Peles. The walls are decorated with walnut wood, bas-reliefs and alabaster sculptures. The roof is made up of retractable glass panels that could be removed to view the sky in summer.

The next room is the Hall of Arms, which has a collection of war and hunting items of about 4.000 pieces, mostly belonging to the XNUMXth - XNUMXth centuries. The itinerary continues through the Office of King Carlos I and the Royal Library, two rooms fully decorated with oak.

Immediately afterwards, we go through the Music Room where we can contemplate various vintage instruments. Then, the Florentine Room, whose large marble fireplace attracts attention. It is followed by one of the most impressive spaces in the castle. The entire room is decorated in the German Renaissance style. The light enters through beautiful stained glass windows with themes about German mythology.

In the final stretch of the basic tour we find the two most exotic rooms: the Arab Room and the Turkish Room. The first, decorated with mother-of-pearl and ivory, was used for queen receptions and tea parties. The second was used for smoking and chatting. In it, the decorative motifs made with silk embroidery on the floor, walls and ceiling stand out.

The last room on the basic tour is the Theater Room, which was converted into a cinema around 1906. The most striking thing about the theater are the paintings of the borders on the walls made by the artist Gustav Klimt. At this point the basic tour ends and only those who have a ticket for the optional tour can continue.

First floor tour

In this part the royal bedrooms, bathrooms and other private rooms of the royal family are visited. After climbing the stairs, you access the Concert Hall where the queen used to organize her musical evenings.

Exteriors and gardens

It is advisable to reserve part of the visit to walk through the gardens where the sculptures of the kings are located and to contemplate the interior patio where tickets are sold and the start of the tours is awaited.

Ticket prices

• Basic visit (ground floor)
• Adults: 30 lei (6 euros approximately)
• Basic visit + first floor tour
• Adults: 60 lei (12,6 euros approximately)

Schedule

Winter (mid-September - early May):

• Monday and Tuesday closed
• Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 16:15 p.m.
• Rest of days from 9:15 a.m. to 16:15 p.m.

Summer (early May - mid September):

• Closed Mondays
• Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 16:15 p.m. (only ground floor can be visited)
• Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 16:15 p.m.
• Rest of days from 9:15 a.m. to 16:15 p.m.