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Peles is one of the most beautiful castles in Romania. The architecture of the building is eclectic, a lot of things are mixed here: Rococo, Baroque, and Renaissance. There are columns and fountains on the terraces, and several towers on the roof.
Peles got its name from the name of the river that flows in the park around the castle. The park ensemble itself is worth a short walk. It is very beautiful here: terraces, fountains, statues. At the entrance to the castle there is a statue of King Carol I. And in the park you can find a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth, who is busy with embroidery.
The collection of weapons in the castle numbers more than four thousand items.
Construction of the castle began in 1873 and continued for several decades. The construction was carried out by Carol I and his wife Elizabeth, in whose letters you can find many references to the construction of Peles. The castle opened only in 1883, but then reconstruction continued. Since Peles was built in the mid-19th century, all the advanced technologies of that time were used. Peles became the first castle in the world to have electricity and even an elevator. A little later, in 1916, a cinema was even built in the castle.
The building has 160 rooms and 30 bathrooms. Everywhere there is a rich interior: ebony, porcelain, leather from Cordoba, oriental carpets, tapestries, gold and silver dishes, paintings, sculptures, ivory. The chandeliers in the castle are mainly made of expensive Murano glass. The windows are made of stained glass, hand-painted by Swiss craftsmen.
The most interesting rooms are considered to be the king's library (more than 800 rare volumes) and his study (not fully decorated, since the king died in the midst of work, and it was decided to leave everything like that), a dining room, an auditorium (there was a cinema there), a meeting room and halls of Eastern and European weapons. The collection of weapons numbers more than four thousand items. The most valuable exhibit is an original item from Turkey: half pistol, half dagger.
It’s also worth checking out the music, Moorish, Florentine, oriental, and Turkish halls. The names make it clear in what style these rooms are made.
After World War II, the castle was nationalized and turned into a public museum. But by the end of Nicolae Ceausescu's reign, Peles was closed to visitors and turned into a residence for the country's leadership. Moreover, Nicolae Ceausescu himself also rarely visited the castle. According to legend, the museum workers are to blame for this, who started a rumor that there was a lot of harmful fungus in the castle, and Ceausescu was quite suspicious in terms of his health.
After 1989, Peles was reopened, and in 2006 the Romanian government returned the castle to the royal family. It is interesting that the dynasty abandoned Peles, but in return “asked” the country’s leadership for 30 million EUR. The request was fulfilled, and Peles finally gained the status of a state museum. About 500 thousand people visit Peles every year.
Peles is open to visitors every day except Monday. The castle does not accept visitors in November. Opening hours: from 10:00 to 16:00.
Coordinates
Peles is located in the town of Sinaia, which can be reached from Bucharest by train or from Brasov by bus. And already in the city itself, any “native” will tell you the way to the castle.
Address: Romania, Prahova Country, Sinaia town, Aleea Pelesului, 2.
Prices on the page are as of September 2018.
Peles Castle in Romania (royal palace of Carol I) is a historical monument in the neo-Renaissance style, built between 1873-1914. It is located near the city of Sinaia, on the way from Transylvania to Wallachia.
The spacious castle of King Carol I was designed by a group of architects - Schulz, Benes and Liman; German and Austrian masters worked on its decoration.
This architectural monument is also known as the first castle in the world with electricity. Simultaneously with its construction, the adjacent territory was being developed: utility rooms and a power station were being built, and a park ensemble was being designed.
Part of the complex is also the Art Nouveau castle of Pelisor, built in 1899-1903 as a summer residence for the family of the royal nephew Ferdinand I.
Museum at Peles Castle in Sinaia
The castle became accessible to tourists as a museum in 1953. Between 1975 and 1990, under Nicolae Ceausescu, the complex was temporarily closed to the public.
Currently, Peles Castle in Sinaia receives almost 500 thousand tourists every year. Its exhibition area covers an area of 3200 sq. m includes over 4,000 thousand items - mainly historical weapons and armor, not counting impressive artworks, carpets, tapestries, furniture, paintings and sculptures. Of the 168 palace rooms, 35 are accessible to visitors.
The park ensemble of the former royal palace includes Italian terraces with intricately decorated fountains and exquisite statues, and a monument to Carol I.
Peles Castle opening hours
- Monday-Tuesday: closed
- Wednesday: 11:00 - 16:15
- Thursday-Sunday: 9:15 - 16:15
- Monday: closed
- Tuesday: 09:00 - 16:15 (visiting on the first floor only)
- Wednesday: 11:00 - 16:15
- Thursday-Sunday: 09:15 - 16:15
Tickets to Peles Castle
How to get to Peles Castle
To get to Peles from Bucharest or Brasov, you need to drive to Sinaia. The optimal transport from Brasov is buses running every 1.5-2 hours. Regular trains depart from Bucharest Gara de Nord railway station to Sinaia. From Sinaia station you can get to the place by taxi, bus or on foot, but it is worth considering that you will need to walk uphill.
Google panoramas of Peles Castle
Video of Peles Castle
The weather in the mountains has two news in store for us. The good thing is that the views, thanks to the low-lying clouds, were just like illustrations to Bram Stoker.. And the bad thing is that the clouds and views were accompanied by a fair amount of rain, which was not conducive to walking.
The rain, upon approaching Sinai, turned into a real flood. Therefore, despite the breathtaking views, we trotted to the palace and preferred to immediately begin inspecting the interior :)
The palace was built at the end of the 19th century, remarkably preserved during the years of communism, despite the fact (or because) Ceausescu did not like it and never used it as a personal residence. Now it is open to tourists.
At the entrance, we willingly put on dry museum shoe covers and shuffled inside :)
The inside of Peles Castle is somewhat overwhelming. A mass of dark wood, all surfaces are covered with carvings and decorated with numerous bas-reliefs and sculptures.
The ceiling in the large hall immediately reminded us of the glass ceilings of the Palace of Parliament. Edward, confirming our observation, said that the ceilings in the Parliament were made according to his model, and the design of the ceiling in Peles, despite its age, is even more perfect, allowing it to move apart for ventilation.
Now the Palace is in the process of transferring it to its rightful, historical owner - King Michael, heir to the Romanian dynasty of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
The castle has completely preserved its furnishings, including a collection of weapons with more than 4,000 exhibits!
Among them is a complete set of armor for a mounted knight...
And the oldest set of armor seems to be from the 14th century.
The collection includes samples of Western and (probably trophy! ;)) Eastern weapons - combat, hunting and even ritual.
But the rooms of the castle are not limited to the armory. Here, for example, is the castle library.
Here, behind one of the shelves there is a secret passage to the king's boudoir. You can't see him in the photo - he's secret! :)
Music salon. Here, among other celebrities, we already knew from Bucharest, George Enescu, visited the royal couple.
A suite of halls for ceremonial receptions. The Florentine hall is decorated with luxurious Murano crystal chandeliers.
Dining room in German style. A fully served table awaits the royal banquet :)
The Moorish Hall with a collection of oriental weapons closes the enfilade.
The Turkish hall is a smoking room.
Instead of a home cinema - a modest home royal theater!
While we were exploring the castle, the rain subsided slightly.
Everything on the patio is guarded by dogs!
We really wanted to take a walk in the garden, but the rain kept coming back, urging us forward. We had to limit ourselves to the view from the terrace and make short dashes to the Peleshor Palace, located very nearby.
Peleshor Castle was built by order of King Charles I, for his heir, the future King Ferdinand and his wife, Queen Mary. It is less luxurious than Peles, since we had nowhere to rush, and it made sense to postpone exploring the streets of Brasov until better weather, we decided to see Pelesor from the inside.
For some reason, in my mind, Romania has always been associated with dragons. In the lobby of the castle we met the first (of two :)) Romanian dragon... True, he was no longer in the best shape...
There is a lot in this castle that bears the memory of its former owner, Queen Mary.
Peleshor Castle is not at all as pompous as its older brother. Many modest rooms in a style reminiscent of art nouveau are open for inspection, looking much more comfortable than the halls of Peles. I won’t bore you with a bunch of photos of the decor, I’ll limit myself to just the two rooms we liked the most.
Queen Mary Studio. One of the rooms that retains the presence of the owner. Not a ghost, which is required for a Gothic castle, but simply an image of a living real woman...
The most luxurious room of the castle is the Golden Room. All walls are covered with solid gilded carvings. On the ceiling there is a Celtic cross - the symbol of Queen Mary. According to her wishes, the last hours of her life passed in this room.
And here it is :) Looking ahead, I will say that he showed himself to be an excellent organizer, guide and translator, for which he repeatedly suffered for us in many museums, castles and even in supermarkets!
After visiting Pelesor, we went to check into the hotel where we planned to stay for the entire duration of our stay in Romania. You can take a look at Vila Krokus, find out if the continuous rain has stopped tormenting us and go with us on a trip to Southern Bukovina!
And if you want to take a better look at the surroundings of the castle, you can do it with our friend offreal
in his story about Sinai and Peles!
In this entry:
Rain and "Transylvanian" landscape.
State halls of Peles.
Home comfort of Peleshor.
We learned an amazing story from one blogger about the history of Peles Castle, which is located in Romania.
Once upon a time, the Bucegi massif in the southern Carpathians was known as a wild place. Not everyone dared to set out on the “princely road” - a mountain path winding among the rocks along the Prahova River. If you believe the legend, the history of this region was radically changed by one episode during the medieval boyar civil strife. ... Spentar (military leader) Mikhail Cantacuzino was leaving along the “princely road” from the pursuit sent by the leader of a rival principality ... The mad race exhausted the strength of his Arabian horse, and in the Peles valley he had to say goodbye to his faithful friend. Here, having quenched his thirst by a mountain stream, the warrior made a vow: if he managed to escape, he would build a monastery on this place. The enemies lost track of Mihai, and six years later, returning to his homeland after wandering in foreign lands, he kept his word. And since the monastery built on his orders was a copy of Sinai, which struck the Spentar during his eastern wanderings, this place was called Sinai.
The inhabitants of the mountain monastery were, apparently, not only diligent servants of the Lord, but also zealous owners. The monastery quickly began to acquire land and took over the surrounding vineyards, pastures, salt and oil mines. In the nineteenth century, the “princely road” was replaced by a decent highway, along which quarries and manufactories grew. But today Sinaia is famous, first of all, as the best mountain resort in Romania. And the town owes this turn in its destiny to King Carol I and the Peles Castle he built here.
Carol (Charles) I, a descendant of one of the branches of the Prussian Hohenzollern dynasty, was elevated to the Romanian throne shortly after the merger of the principalities of Moldova and Wallachia into a single state.
Touring his new possessions, the founder of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty ended up in Sinai in 1867 and, enchanted by the beauty of these places, ordered to build a residence here. This is how Peles Castle was founded, and around it, as usual, palaces and villas of the monarch’s close associates, hotels and sanatoriums for wealthy lovers of mountain air began to grow.
The best architects, sculptors, and interior designers from different parts of Europe worked on the ensemble of buildings scattered throughout the royal park. The main one, which served as the residence of Carol himself, is now a museum where crowds of tourists are greeted by family portraits of the Hohenzollerns, ancient weapons on the walls, mannequins in knightly armor, and magnificent stained glass windows by German masters. There are also giant Venetian glass mirrors, cozy living rooms in Moorish and Turkish styles, and an orchestral music cabinet imported from America, a true work of art that can decorate any collection of antiques. And of course, as befits a real medieval castle, there are secret doors and passages. But this is more a tribute to tradition than a necessity in enlightened times when this little miracle was created.
If Sinaia in Romania is called the “pearl of the Carpathians,” then Peles Castle can be called the pearl of Sinaia itself. And at the same time, in the guidebooks of the 70s and 80s of the last century there is not a word about the castle! The secret is simple: the Hohenzollern family nest served as one of the many residences of the Ceausescu clan, so the gates of Peles Castle remained tightly closed to the public. Perhaps this is the reason for today’s pilgrimage of tourists who stand in line to get into the royal chambers.
The century of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty was short-lived: it ruled Romania for only 81 years. Much is connected with the Peles Castle in its chronicles: the founder of the dynasty died here, Carol II, the father of the last Romanian monarch Michael I, was born here. But at present, the toy buildings and sculptural groups of Peles a la Versailles are no longer associated with the “gloomy German genius” . The only exception is, perhaps, the monument to King Carol I, looking sternly at his possessions from under the visor of a military cap. Still, the Prussians lived here...
The castle was built simultaneously with a power plant on the river that flows nearby, so Peles is also the first electrified castle in Romania. The castle was built by literally the whole world. Gypsies, Turks, Poles, and Czechs worked on it. A true international. During the War of Independence, construction slowed down, but after that it began to boil with renewed vigor. King Carol II was born in this castle. It was not for nothing that his father gave the castle the name Peles, which meant the cradle of the nation. When Carol the First was dying, he ordered his son to make a museum out of Peles. After the death of his father, Carol II, like an obedient son, fulfilled his dying will. The castle began to work as a museum, remaining a royal domain. The castle did not last long as a royal apartment. After the communists came to power, the castle was confiscated into public property and miraculously was not looted.
After some time, the castle becomes a museum. From 1975 to 1990 the castle was closed to visitors. As you know, the then leader of Com. Romanian Party Nocolas Ceausescu suffered from a whole range of phobias. So, to prevent the castle from being ruined by the zealous relatives of the then government, the museum workers came up with a legend that the castle had a fungus that spoils the wood and is very harmful to humans. Whether this is true or not, Ceausescu never appeared at the castle. In 1989, Romania becomes a capitalist country. In 2006, the castle was returned to the former king. Mihai took ownership, but soon reached a consensus with the authorities and the castle was sold to the state for 30 million euros. Now it delights all visitors with its beauty and charm. But filmmakers continue to treat this castle with special reverence. More than one famous film was shot here.
The main entrance hall is the highest room of Peles Castle - 3 floors, 12 meters high. The hall reproduces the famous German Chamber of Commerce in Lübeck. Italian Revival furniture. Initially it served as a courtyard. In 1911 it was covered with a mobile ceiling, which can still be moved today to ventilate the room. This hall was decorated with wood and you can see 2000 figures in it. On the panels there are two rows of alabaster bas-reliefs (marble plaster) - depicting mythological, biblical and historical scenes. The rich marquetry on the walls depicts 18 castles in Germany and Switzerland - the residence of the Hohenzolern dynasty.
The Hall of European Weapons is decorated in German Revival style. The hall contains European weapons from the 15th to 19th centuries. The palace has the second collection in the country - 3,500 weapons. Crossbows, halberds, cannons, shields, and spears stand out on the walls.
The Hall of Oriental Weapons of the Peles Palace presents various types of weapons painted with gold, silver, precious stones, and corals. The most valuable of them is the Turkish weapon - half pistol, half dagger.
The king's study at Peles Palace is decorated with paintings and furniture in the German style. Between the stained glass windows there is a music stand for official audiences, and next to it is the table where the king worked.
The king's library at Peles Palace contains about 800 volumes. The rest of the books (about 10,000) were in the permanent royal residence in Bucharest. The library has oak wood carvings. There is a secret door in the hall, which communicated through a spiral staircase with the king's bedroom on the third floor.
The meeting room is the last audience room. This was the last room added to the palace in 1914. It was decorated in the year the king died. Therefore, part of the hall remained undecorated.
The music room has a more formal decoration, made of spruce wood. Which also served as a hall for creative evenings. Carol 1 and Elizabeta were visited by great figures of Romanian culture such as George Enescu, Vasile Alexandri, Mihai Eminescu and other artists. The furniture set, a gift to the king from an Indian prince, is the main exhibit of the hall. Three generations of craftsmen worked on it for 104 years.
The Florentine Hall is the first of a series of reception halls. The decoration is in Italian neo-renaissance. The hall is richly decorated with marble and carved gilded wood. Original chandeliers made of Murano crystal. Venetian mirrors that reflect the ceiling. On the floor there are original oriental carpets made of natural silk.
Dining room - decoration made from various types of wood. Furniture in the German Baroque style. The original stained glass windows (18th century), made in Munich, depict scenes from the life of the German nobility. The ceiling and chairs are covered with Cordoba leather.
The Moorish Hall is the third reception hall of the Peles Palace, in the Arabic style with ivory and mother-of-pearl inlays. The ceiling is made of linden and plaster. There are oriental weapons on the walls (XV - XVIII centuries). On the carpet and on the stools are verses from the Koran.
The Eastern Turkish Hall of Peles is an original decoration made of silk embroidery, specific to the Turkish style. On the tables there is a hookah and a vessel for burning incense. On the floor is an oriental carpet from Smyrna.
The auditorium is a theater hall in the Peles Palace with 60 seats, in a French Louis XIV style setting. In 1906 the hall became a cinema hall.
Peles Castle was built in the neo-Renaissance style, but the half-timbered courtyard facades with their luxuriously painted walls show Saxon influence, and the Baroque influence is noticeable in the interiors, decorated with rich wood carvings and fine fabrics. Its external decoration looks like a castle from a sweet fairy tale. It is somewhat similar to a fairytale castle made of ice cream and cookies. But at the same time, it differs from all the pretentious and pompous castles of Western Europe. Its style can be described as a light Swiss chalet. It is incredibly chic, the architecture here is simply dazzling, but in some ways there is still restraint, unlike all other castles. Most likely, this is due to a mixture of styles.
A huge number of sculptures, a gorgeous park around, incredible frescoes on the walls, the wood carvings that decorate the façade of the house, the interior, walls, and furniture are legendary. You can talk about this castle for hours. It was perfectly integrated by its former architect, Johann Schulz, into the surrounding landscape. A snow-white building with dark wood trim, a pointed turret, many patterns on the windows, on the roofs, on the balustrades. And there are frescoes everywhere. The picture is complemented by beautiful lanterns in the park and many sculptures.
Peles Castle has a huge number of exhibitions that are constantly changing, and not all of its rooms are open to the public. The collection of weapons, including 4,000 items (15-19 centuries, from the East to Europe), is considered especially valuable. Another pearl of this castle is the collection of Maximilian equipment for horses and knights, it is the only one of its kind in Romania. And there are not many of these in Europe.
The area of Peles Castle is 3200 sq. meters, which housed more than 160 rooms, 30 bathrooms, luxuriously furnished and exquisitely decorated. Among the many exquisite rooms, distinguished by style and design, are the Florentine room, the French room, the theater and study rooms. The tableware collection includes Meissen and Sevres porcelain.
It has one of the finest collections of art from eastern and central Europe, which includes sculpture, paintings, furniture, weapons and armour, gold and silverware, ivory, porcelain, carpets and tapestries. The collection of weapons and armor includes more than 4,000 items. Oriental carpets were produced in the best workshops in Bukhara, Mosul, Isparta and Smyrna.
In this unique castle there is only one fake, masterfully executed, a fake fireplace. By the way, an elevator was installed for the first time in Europe at Peles Castle. The ceiling paintings decorate the entire castle are also unique. They not only repeat, but are absolutely identical to the patterns on the carpets. Without any exaggeration, we can say that this is the most unique castle in Europe with the richest collection.
Since everything in Peles Castle smacks of originality, the architects could not ignore even the ceilings. Instead of standard ceilings, the castle has ceiling stained glass windows, and they are all sliding. Stained glass windows fit harmoniously into the architectural ensemble of the house. By the way, they were hand-painted by Swedish craftsmen. These stained glass windows still provide natural ventilation to the castle.
Since its opening, Peles Castle has received almost half a million visitors every year. But, unfortunately, there are almost no Russians among them. For this reason, unfortunately, excursions in Russian are not offered here either. At the main entrance stands a statue of King Carol I, the work of the Italian sculptor Raffaello Romanelli, who also owns the statues made of Carrara marble, located on seven beautiful Italian terraces surrounding the castle and made in the neo-Renaissance style. In the park there is also a monument to Queen Elizabeth, depicting the wife of King Carol I doing embroidery - a traditional Romanian art. The gardens and terraces are decorated with fountains, urns, staircases, lions, beautiful statues and other decorative details.
The highest room in Peles Castle is the main entrance hall. Its height is 12 meters, which is equal to the height of three floors of the castle. The main entrance hall is the highest room of Peles Castle - 3 floors, 12 meters high. The front lobby reproduces the famous German Chamber of Commerce in Lübeck. The furniture here is in Italian Revival style. Initially, the front vestibule served as a courtyard, but at the request of the owners, in 1911 it was covered with a mobile roof, which even today can be moved apart to ventilate the room. On the panels of the front vestibule are two rows of alabaster bas-reliefs (marble plaster), which depict mythological, biblical and historical scenes. The rich marquetry on the walls depicts 18 castles in Germany and Switzerland - the residence of the Hohenzolern dynasty.
You should definitely pay attention to the hall of European weapons. It is decorated in German Revival style. Unique and rare examples of European weapons from the 15th to 19th centuries are collected here. Also in Peles Castle there is a hall of oriental weapons. Here are various types of weapons decorated with gold, silver, precious stones, and corals. The most valuable of them is a Turkish weapon - half pistol, half dagger. The study of King Carol I in Peles Castle is decorated with paintings and furniture in the German style. Between the stained glass windows there is a music stand for official audiences, and next to it is the table where the king worked. The room in which the library is located is decorated with oak wood panels with carvings. A secret door from the library leads through a spiral staircase to the king's bedroom on the third floor. The library at Peles Castle contains about 800 volumes. The rest of the books, about 10,000 of them, were kept in the permanent royal residence in Bucharest.
Another room in the castle that I would like to pay special attention to is the music room. The decor of the music room is more austere, made of spruce wood. The unusually exquisite furniture set of the music room attracts attention. It was given to King Carol the First by an Indian prince. Three generations of craftsmen made this set for 104 years. Creative evenings have been held in this hall several times. Here, great creative personalities of Romanian culture - George Enescu, Vasile Alexandri, Mihai Eminescu and other artists - visited Carol I and Elisabeth.
The Florentine Hall is the main hall of Peles Castle, where lavish receptions were held. The design of this hall is made in the Italian neo-Renaissance style. The rich decor of the Florentine hall is made of marble and carved gilded wood. Murano glass chandeliers. The floor is covered with magnificent oriental carpets made of natural silk. The design and decor of the dining room is made using a huge number of different wood species, including exotic wood. Furniture in the German Baroque style. The original stained glass windows, made by Munich craftsmen, depict scenes from the life of the German nobility. The ceiling and chairs are covered in Cordoba leather. The Moorish Hall is the third reception hall of Peles Castle. Made in the Arabic style with numerous ivory and mother-of-pearl inlays. On the walls there are oriental weapons from the 15th - 18th centuries.
In the eastern Turkish hall of Peles there is an original decoration of silk embroidery inherent in the Turkish style. On the tables there is a hookah and a vessel for burning incense. On the floor is an oriental carpet from Smyrna.
The castle also has a theater auditorium with 60 seats. It is made in the French Baroque style of Louis XIV. In 1906 it was converted into a cinema hall.
Peles Castle, located in Transylvania, is a beautiful monument of Neo-Renaissance architecture, where King Carol I of Romania once lived. Geographically, it is located near the city of Sinaia, surrounded by the picturesque Carpathian mountains, for which it received the name “Carpathian Pearl”.
History of construction
Carol I (1839-1914) visited this area in 1866 and was delighted with the beauty of the mountains and forests, which reminded him of his homeland - Germany. In 1872 he decided to buy land near Sinai. It was decided to build Peles Castle as a summer residence and use it for hunting in the local forests.
To order from the King of Romania, 3 castle designs were made, which turned out to be just copies of European palaces, and very expensive copies at that. Carol I wanted something more refined and original, but not so expensive. And the required project was presented to him by the architect I. Schulz: a very small but spacious mansion-palace, which incorporated several architectural features at once: Alpine style, German neo-Renaissance and Italian Baroque elegance. Its vertical and sharp turrets, asymmetrical plan, and unusual architecture helped it fit perfectly into the surrounding landscape.
Architects Benes and K. Liman were also involved in the construction process (1873-1914), and craftsmen from Germany and Austria were involved in the manufacture of decorative elements.
Construction of the castle
Peles Castle (Romania) is famous for the fact that it was the first in the world to use electric lighting, which was supplied by a power station built right there. The castle had elevators, a telephone, a cinema, and cleaning was done using a vacuum cleaner. A heating station was also built: the castle was heated by supplying hot air through air ducts (all this still works today!).
During the construction of the castle, the development and development of the adjacent territory took place: the design of the park ensemble, the construction of the necessary utility rooms (guard house, stables). Several hundred workers from different countries took part in the construction.
Part of the complex was also allocated for another Pelisor castle, which was built in 1899-1903. as a summer residence for King Ferdinand's nephew
The castle got its name from the nearby mountain river Peles.
After the opening and inauguration celebrations (1883), the Romanian King Carol I lived here for a long time with his wife Elizabeth, and their son Carol II was born (1893).
Interior and lobby
Peles Castle looks royal inside: the building has 168 rooms, each of which has its own unique style and interior design. The castle has 30 bathrooms, furnished with royal luxury and decorative finishes.
The decoration of the rooms uses Italian, English, French, Spanish-Moorish, Turkish styles, Baroque, Rococo and even some elements of the newest (in those years) Art Nouveau movement. Wooden carvings and dark wood paneling, as well as many bas-reliefs and sculptures, form one of the main artistic features of the castle.
One of the original features of the castle is the glass retractable ceiling with stained glass windows (handmade by Swiss craftsmen) in the main entrance hall, which was installed in 1911 above the courtyard. The ceiling is still in use and is used for ventilation purposes. Based on his model, a similar ceiling was made in the Romanian Parliament in Bucharest.
Another unique architectural and decorative element is the spiral staircase in Peles Castle (Romania, photo below), along which the king climbed from the library to his apartments on the third floor - it is made of carved wood to the full height.
The front lobby occupies 3 floors, its architecture is copied from the Chamber of Commerce in Lübeck, and the interior is made in the Italian Renaissance style. On the walls of the lobby are images of many castles in Germany and Switzerland, which were the residences of the kings of the Hohenzollern dynasty.
Original castle rooms
Peles Castle (Romania, see photo below) consists of many rooms, but only 35 are available to tourists, each of which is decorated in a specific style:
- The Florentine hall is decorated with ebony wood, Venetian mirrors, the ceiling is decorated with luxurious Murano crystal chandeliers, and silk carpets brought from Bukhara lie on the floor.
- In the Turkish Hall, where the incense burner is located, the walls are completely covered with natural silk, there is a hookah and vessels for incense, and there is an oriental carpet on the floor.
- The Moorish Hall houses a collection of oriental weapons (XV-XVIII centuries).
- The king's study and the castle library (about 800 books), which has a hidden secret passage to the royal bedroom.
- Music salon, where chamber concerts were held to which guests of the royal couple were invited; in the salon there is furniture donated by an Indian prince (several generations of Indian craftsmen worked on it for 104 years).
- The 60-seat Theater Room, furnished in the style of Louis XIV, housed a small royal theater with a stage and theatrical curtain, where the king and his guests watched plays and films more than 100 years ago (since 1906).
Museum exhibitions of the castle
Now Peles Castle (see photo inside) is visited by almost 0.5 million tourists annually, who want not only to see it from the outside, but also to visit its rich museum exhibitions.
The exhibition display is located on an area of 3200 sq. m and contains more than 4 thousand items of historical value: weapons, carpets and tapestries, antique furniture, paintings and sculptures, various artistic and decorative items.
Inside the castle there is a museum with several exhibitions:
- a collection of Western weapons and knightly equipment (more than 4,000 items), including armor of knights of the 14th-19th centuries, samples of military weapons (crossbows, halberds, cannons), hunting rifles;
- a collection of oriental weapons, including ritual ones (an interesting exhibit of Turkish origin, similar to a pistol);
- an exhibition of glassware, Meissen and Sevres porcelain includes 1.5 thousand items;
- a collection of gold and silver objects that were presented to monarchs in honor of holidays or anniversaries (5.5 thousand exhibits);
- collection of clocks from the 18th-20th centuries (more than 50): wall, table, floor, miniature and fireplace clocks in different styles and types;
- collections of tapestries and carpets, ceramics.
Park ensemble
The residence of the Romanian king is surrounded by a beautiful, luxurious park with terraces, designed in the Italian Renaissance style. There are many statues, ceramic vases, columns, fountains, which together make up a very elegant and picturesque landscape.
At the beginning of the park there is a sculpture of Charles I, his master, made by the Italian sculptor R. Romanelli. He also made many other sculptures from Carrara marble, which are located on 7 Italian terraces: a monument to Queen Elizabeth (busy with embroidery), various statues and stone figures of lions, fountains and many other decorative delights - all this became the decoration of the elegant small park ensemble surrounding Peles Castle (photo below).
Pelisor Castle
Next to the royal castle in the park there is a small Pelisor castle built especially for the heir, in which the future king Ferdinand I and his wife Queen Maria (architect K. Liman) lived.
The interior decoration of Pelisor, designed by the Viennese designer B. Ludwig, is more cozy and modest. All rooms are open to tourists: Maria’s bedroom, children’s room and others. Maria, Ferdinand's wife, participated in the design and decoration of the castle, introducing Byzantine and Celtic symbols into the interior style. Their children were born and raised here: Karol, Maria, Elizabeth, Prince Nicholas.
The most luxurious are the Golden Bedroom, the Chapel and the Golden Room, in which all the walls are covered with gilded carvings. All furniture was created according to the queen's sketches in the Sinai workshops. Queen Mary spent her last hours in this room. On the ceiling of the room is her symbol - a Celtic cross, the emblem of Scotland, where she came from.
Peles Castle, XX-XI century
After the abdication of King Michael in 1947, Peles Castle was confiscated by the communist government and was declared a museum in 1953. At this time, the Romanian cultural elite vacationed here. During the reign of N. Ceausescu (1975-1990), the castle was closed to visitors; it was used as a residence for the leadership of communist Romania. Although Ceausescu visited the castle very rarely. According to legend, museum staff spread a rumor about the appearance of a harmful fungus, and Ceausescu was very worried and concerned about his health.
Since 1989, Peles Castle has reopened to tourists. In 2006, it was returned to former King Mihai, but then, after negotiations, the castle was made a national treasure of Romania, opening it to tourists as a historical monument and museum.
How to see the castle
You can get to the city of Sinaia, where Peles Castle is located, by train from Bucharest or from the town of Brasov by bus, you just need to go up, because it is located on the mountain.
The castle is open to tourists every day except Monday, from 10:00 to 16:00. In November every year it closes for maintenance. Tourists can explore it only as part of a group with a guide.
