Date of travel: Aug 30, 2018
Romania is home to many historic castles, well preserved medieval cities and surrealistic mountainous landscapes.
In the summer of 2018, while touring Bulgaria and Romania we had the chance to enjoy the region’s natural beauty and unique traditions.
Sinaia and Peles Castle:
We had booked a 12-hour tour from Bucharest, exploring Peles Castle, Brasov and Bran Castle.
2-hour scenic drive from Bucharest, took us to picturesque mountain resort, Sinaia, situated 125 km from Bucharest.
Sinaia:
Sinaia is known as the “Pearl of The Carpathians” and is situated at a height of 800 meters, east of beautiful Bucegi mountains on the Prahova river valley.
This small lovely town has mineral springs with medicinal properties and some elegant historical architectures of which Peles Castle, Pelisor Castle, Sinaia Monastery and Sinaia Casino are very popular among tourists.
Peles Castle and Pelisor Castle:
Built in 1859 by King Carol 1, inspired by Neo- Renaissance and Gothic style, the palace was meant for summer residence for Romanian Royal Family. The castle has 170 rooms, 30 bathrooms and impressive collections of statues, paintings, furniture, armoury, tapestries, gold, silver, ivory, golden chandeliers, marble fountains and many more items. Undoubtedly the castle has finest collections of art and paintings in central and Eastern Europe. Other than luxurious interior,castle has a lovely courtyard which offers stunning views of the surrounding valley.
One can really spend whole day enjoying marvellous exterior of the castle and exploring its decorated halls.
Pelisor Castle:
After exploring Peles Castle we walked down to Pelisor Castle located in the same complex. The castle is smaller than Peles Castle but equally beautiful structure with a partly timber facade. Built by King Carol l for his nephew Ferdinand, this castle offers a glimpse in to the royal family’s history.
Transylvania: A Region of Beauty and Mystery:
Transylvania is historical and cultural region in present day central Romania. The region is known for the scenery of its Carpathian landscapes which makes the natural border of the region in the east and the south. Transylvania name translates to ‘on the other side of forest’ and is home to many magnificent castles, medieval villages and outstanding rural landscapes, Transylvania has always been a very popular destination among tourists. Brasov, Cluj- Napoca, Timisoara and Sibiu are some of the famous towns of the region.
Journey to Brasov and Bran Castle:
Our next stop was fascinating town Brasov situated at a distance of 50 km from Sinaia. Our walking tour of the town started from Main Square and we were guided through the ‘narrowest street of Europe’ to the famous Gothic Black Church, St Nichols church and Catherine’s Gate. Catherine’s Gate was supposed to be the only gate in medieval times through which Romanians were allowed to enter city under Saxon ruling and is still preserved, though renovated.
Bran Castle and Dracula:
Post lunch session was reserved for visit to Bran Castle popularly known as Dracula’s Castle.
Perched high atop a 200-feet high cliff, overlooking the village of Bran and a flowing river, surrounded by an aura of mystery and legend, Bran castle owes its fame to its imposing towers and turrets as well as myth created by Bram Stoker’s famous creation ‘Dracula’.
Dracula, as he is perceived today, is a fictitious character whose name derives from the appellation given to Vlad Tepes, the military leader of Wallachia region in fifteenth century and was depicted by some historians as blood thirsty ruthless ruler.
Although Stoker never visited Transylvania and his description of Dracula’s crumbling fictional castle has no resemblance to Bran Castle, the castle is popularly known as Dracula’s castle all over the world and is also a national monument in Transylvania.
Castle is situated 25 km southwest of Brasov and was built by Saxons in 14th century. You need to climb its narrow winding stairways to reach its majestic terrace offering panoramic views. The castle has 57 timbered rooms which house collections of furniture, weapons and armours from 14th to 19th century.
Evening was approaching, birds were chirping, visitors were disappearing as doors of the castle were closing behind us imposing an eerie silence all over the castle. We forgot to take pictures and hurriedly ran down the stairs with a feeling of vampires’ breath behind our neck. We rushed towards our vehicle in the parking zone and we were the last ones to leave the castle!!(In reality, after enjoying the castle tour we did souvenir shopping and beer hopping in the adjoining castle market).
Other Famous Attractions:
1. Sibiu – Cultural Capital of Transylvania,
2. Sighisoara Citadel – An UNESCO heritage site,
3. Corvin Castle – 14th century castle, a marvellous gothic structure in Hunedoara
4. Outdoor adventures in Carpathian Mountains.
5. The Apuseni mountain nature reserve.
How to Reach:
Best way to explore the region for a tourist is by booking a group day tour from Bucharest which can cost anything between 20 Euro to 45 Euro or more depending on group size.
- By Train:
Sinaia is 122 km from Bucharest and has a train station.
Brasov is 45 Km from Sinaia,170 km from Bucharest and has a train station with major connections to all Romanian cities.
Bran is 30 km from Brasov and has no train station. - By Road:
Regular bus services operate to all above towns. Taxis, private cabs and rental car options are there.
Local Cuisine:
The cuisine is a fascinating blend of flavours influenced by Romanian, German, Ottoman and Hungarian traditions.
Cabbage rolls with minced meat, grilled minced meat rolls, Beef Tripe soup are among delicious dishes.
Papanasi (type of donuts) and Gomboti (sweet dumplings) are types of popular desserts.
When to visit:
March to May – To enjoy blooming flower and greenery, less tourists.
June to August – For outdoor activities and festivals.
September to October – Lovely Autumn and stunning foliage.
Winter– For winter sports and Christmas celebrations.
11 thoughts on “Majestic Peles Castle and Romantic Transylvania”
Exhilarating. Please also add some famous mystery stories of transylvania
Thanks,will do surely.
Quite a historical tour. Enchanting indeed
Thanks
Very interesting, especially about Draculas castle. Thankyou for the detailed descriptions.
Thanks alot for your valuable feedback.
Great compilation. Beauty of place is increased after such lovely words of that place. Nicely described.
Beautiful narration of the places, specially peles castle n pelisor castle, needs worth mentioning.
Beautiful narration of the places, specially peles castle n pelisor castle, needs worth mentioning. 👌
Nicely composed, vivid!! Moreover, it’s good that you’re sharing all your travel experiences. We’re getting enriched.
Thank you.
Best wishes!! We’ll wait for more to come from you.
Thanks Partha for your lovely and thoughtful feedback.