Sinaia Things to Do

Peles (pronounced pelesh) Castle is a small but magically situated mountain estate. It is still actively used by the ruling family as a residence, even though their titles are more traditional and less functional due to the democratic revolution.

Provided the family is not in the castle at the time, it is open to tourists.

If you are in Sinaia or the nearby town of Busteni, you can take a cable car to the top of the mountain ridge. It is a wonderful viewpoint on the high plateau on the edge of the steep mountains. There will likely be sheep grazing around and you can walk the series of pathways in the plateau.

If you venture to the north, you can see the huge cross on the mountain that overlooks the lower valley of Sinaia. Remember that it can be ~15 degrees colder on the top than in the valley, dress accordingly.

Dimitrie Ghica Park is named after a famous Romanian explorer who travelled in Africa, killing everything he saw, and who thankfully for African wildlife, died in 1923. The tally from one of his African hunting expeditions was four lions, five elephants, fifteen crocodiles, a dozen rhinos, one giraffe, two panthers, seven hyenas, fifteen zebras, three wild asses two greater kudu, eleven lesser kudu, eight hartebeest, twenty five gemsbok, eight warthogs, around one hundred different gazelles plus numerous foxes, jackals and monkeys. Even though an avid hunter, he did not neglect flora, and picked every rare species he saw.

His park stands in front of Sinaia Casino.

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Sinaia Monastery was founded in 1690 by Mihai Cantacuzino (1650-1716), who was inspired to build it by a pilgrimage with his family to Mount Sinai, where he saw the fourth century St Catherine's Monastery. It took five years to build. It was badly damaged in the 1730s by invading Turks. The monastery didn't reopen until the nineteenth century, and it wasn't fully restored until the twentieth century.

Highlights of the monastery complex include the Great Church built in 1842-6, the Bell Tower built in 1892, the Old Church built in 1695, and the museum.

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The original Economat building was quite small, but it was rebuilt in German Renaissance style between 1908 and 1909. It hosted the members of the royal court, whenever the royal family visited Sinaia.

Nowadays, like the other buildings annexed to Peles Castle, it is used as a hotel.

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Next to its grand neighbour, Peles Castle, Pelisor Castle seems like a rather modest home for royalty: more a large country house, than a castle. Nevertheless, it is still interesting to look around inside. Its exterior is rather ugly as its eclectic architectural style makes it look like a cross between a French chateau and an English mock-Tudor mansion.

Pelisor Castle was built between 1899-1903 by order of King Carol I for the future King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. Until the completion of the castle the young couple lived in Foisor castle. The castle reflects the personal style of Queen Maria. The walls of the reception room are covered with oak. The gilded sculpted wood design of the Golden Room as well as the design of the working cabinet was created by the queen herself. The thistle which is the floral emblem of Scotland and reminder of her birthplace is also present on the wall of the Golden Room. The royal offspring spent their childhood in this castle: the future King Carol, Queen Mary of Yugoslavia, Queen Elizabeth of Greece and Prince Nicolae.

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Peles Castle is one of those fairy tale castles that you occasionally come across in the countryside of Eastern Europe which were built more to indulge the fantasies of royalty then for any defensive purposes. Completed in 1883, Peles Castle was built as the summer residence of the Romanian royal family, by King Carol I (1866-1914) and today it is a national monument and museum.

Several other buildings, annexed to the castle, are worth visiting, including Pelisor Castle, The Guard's Chambers, the Foisor Hunting Lodge, the Stables and the Sipot Villa. Until the completion of Peles Castle, the royal couple lived in the adjoining hunting lodge. Peles Castle was the first European castle to be entirely lit by electricity.

It is well worth taking the guided tour inside the castle where there are spectacularly lavish furnishings, wood panelled walls, stained glass windows, chandeliers and works of art.

To really experience the beauty of Bucegi mountains you must do some hiking! The mountain trails are marked with colored signs, so it is hard to get lost if you follow the trail and the signs.
All the areas are also patrolled by the mountain rescue teams. There are also many mountain huts that offer food and accommodation, so they can be used if one is planning a longer journey.