Prince Carol I, elected ruler of Romania in 1866, visited the Sinaia area for the first time in August of that year while trying to know his country better, and was delighted by the beauty of the places. He decided then to build a castle and chose a secluded and picturesque location on the valley of the Peleș River, hence the name of the castle. A few years later, in 1872, he bought the land and the works began in 1873. The official inauguration of the castle was in 1883 but the works would continue until 1914.
Located at 122 km from Bucharest, on Prahova Valley, in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains, Peleş Castle is considered by visitors one of the most beautiful castles in Romania and also in Europe.
Peleș Castle was built to serve as the summer residence of the Kings of Romania, thertefore was invested with political, cultural and symbolic functions. It is one of the most important historical buildings in Romania, unique and with an invaluable artistic value, one of the most important monuments of this kind in Romania and Europe.
It has been an avant-garde castle right from the begining of its construction, endowed, upon the King’s request, with the most modern equipment of the time. It was the first electrified castle in Europe, with elevators, central heating, electrically operated glass roof, and a central vacuum cleaning system.
The castle has several entrances, numerous interior stairs and 160 rooms. The central tower measures no less than 66 feet high.
When visiting Peleș Castle, you will be greeted in a grandious style by the grand hall, displaying walnut wood paneling, with bas-reliefs and statuettes. You will notice, above your heads, the painted glass ceiling which, when retracted with the help of electrically driven mechanisms, offer a generous view of the sky. Your journey through the castle will reach the Royal library where you will find an impressive collection of rare books, tied in leather and engraved in gold letters. There is a secret door in the library by which the King could leave without anyone knowing.
The castle has a lot of impressive halls, among which the arcades are a special attraction, as it is here where you will find over 4,000 exhibits of European and Oriental weaponry, including German armors, and also a complete armor for horse and knight, unique in Romania.
The music room was the favorite place of Queen Elizabeth, where the musical evenings were often attended by George Enescu, who was a close friend of the Queen.
The Florentine Hall, also called the Grand Salon, will impress you with a gilded lime wood carved ceiling with two large chandeliers and Italian neo-Renaissance decorations. Visiting the castle will take you to the Moorish Hall, which will surprise you with its hispanic-moorish elements, including a Carrara marble well that will attract your attention.
The castle has a theater room with 60 seats and a Royal lodge, decorated in Louis XIV style, as well as a concert hall where you will find rare instruments including a harpsicord made in Antwerp in 1621, a Blüthner concert piano with a vertical tail and a Rieger organ with two keyboards.
Within the castle, the Imperial apartment was built in 1906 for the reception of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz Joseph I, invited to the 40th anniversary of King Carol I. This visit eventually did not take place, but the apartment remained, and we can still visit it today.
Around it, the castle has seven terraces decorated with stone statues, fountains and ornamental marble vases.
The royal domain of Sinaia also includes other monumental buildings, including the Pelişor Castle, the Foișor Castle, the Guard Corps, the Economat, the Electrical Plant and the Șipot Villa.
Peles Castle belongs to the Royal Family of Romania.
Romania Color will accompany you on your journey to discover the history and the beauty of these places.
