Peles Castle, Sinaia, Romania

Nestled at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains in the picturesque town of Sinaia, Peleș Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture, considered by many one of the most stunning castles in Europe.

History

When King Carol I of Romania (1839–1914) visited the location on which the beautiful castle now stands, he was amazed by the stunning scenery of the Carpathian Mountains that surround it. The construction of Peleș Castle was commissioned by King Carol, and on August 22, 1873, the foundations were laid in the form of a hunting house and a summer retreat for the Romanian royal family. The castle was designed by the German architect Johannes Schultz in a Neorenaissance style that combined numerous features of classic European styles. Construction saw a slight slowdown during the Romanian War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1877–78, but soon afterwards the plans grew in size and construction was quite rapid. Completed in 1883, the castle served as the summer residence of the royal family until 1947.

After King Michael I's forced abdication in 1947, the Communist regime seized all royal property, including the Peleș Estate. The castle was opened as a tourist attraction for a short time. It also served as a recreation and resting place for Romanian cultural personalities. The castle was declared a museum in 1953. Nicolae Ceaușescu closed the entire estate between 1975 and 1990, during the last years of the Communist regime.

After the December 1989 Revolution, Peleş and Pelişor Castle were re-established as heritage sites and opened to the public.

Architecture

By form and function, Peleş is a palace, but it is consistently called a castle. Its architectural style is a romantically inspired blend Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival similar to Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. A Saxon influence can be observed in the interior courtyard facades, which have allegorical hand-painted murals and ornate fachwerk similar to that seen in northern European alpine architecture.

Interior

Peleş Castle has a 3,200-square-metre floor plan with over 170 rooms, many with dedicated themes from world cultures. The furniture in the Music Room is carved of teak, a gift to King Carol I from the Maharajah of Kapurtala in India, while handmade silk embroideries adorn the ceiling and walls of the Turkish Salon. The ceiling paintings and decorative frescoes in the Theater Hall were designed by the renowned Austrian artists Gustav Klimt and Frantz Matsch.Over 4,000 European and Oriental pieces dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries are on display in the armories. Peleș Castle shelters a painting collection of almost 2,000 pieces.

References:

Address

Aleea Peleșului 2, Sinaia, Romania

See all sites in Sinaia

Details

Founded: 1873
Category: Castles and fortifications in Romania

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
romaniatourism.com

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Sinaia Monastery (0,7 km)
Pelisor Palace (0,3 km)

User Reviews

John Wells (39 days ago)
Stunning! I went there in mid-December. Unfortunately when I visited part of the castle was under repair. I was only able to visit 1 of the floors. Despite this, the interior that I did see was amazing! The only downside was the crowded line, but of course that cannot be avoided.

Masha Tymchenko (2 months ago)
The most beautiful castle I’ve ever visited. The architecture is stunning, both inside and out, with incredible attention to detail -it feels like stepping into a fairy tale. Іt is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Romania. However, the queues are some of the longest I’ve ever seen, so be prepared to bring plenty of patience?‍♀️

Hetal Pala (2 months ago)
The interior is wonderfully thought out and decorated. There are a lot of details to this castle that definitely should not be missed. We went in January and the entire place was covered with a blanket of snow. What a picture of site from the exterior. I wish I had more time to explore here but we were on a tour so time was naturally limited but 110% recommended.

Ebun Oluwole (2 months ago)
Stunning castle with an even more magnificent interiors which will probably be seen as gaudy in today’s world. Being located in the Carpathian Mountains gives it a more enchanting feel. The scaffolding definitely ruined the exterior but we were informed that extensive plumbing works were ongoing so it’s understandable. Possibly the most annoying thing are the queues despite visiting on a weekday morning. Regardless, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Anna Magmel (2 months ago)
We came on a snowy Saturday. There was not too many people, basically no queues. The website is very confusing, so we managed to buy online only a ticket to see the ground floor at first. We entered, saw the ground floor in less than an hour. It’s pretty cold in some of the rooms, even if we were dressed up well. No one to ask info from. The managed to ask a lady, working there. She told us to go to a smaller castle ( 5 mins walk), buy tickets to see the other floors there and then come back. A weird system but okay. We did it and entered the 1st floor, which wasn’t massive. Overall, the experience wasn’t great, the Castle itself isn’t of a rare beauty inside. And outside it was covered with construction stuff, so we couldn’t see it well. Maybe better to visit this place is a warm period of time. And be sure that all the rooms are opened for public and there are no constructions.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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Peles Castle