Tourist Attractions
Sinaia is more than just a simple mountain town. The modern city still keeps its monuments intact, a symbol of a very rich culture. Discover the main attractions and try to visit them while here.
Peleș Castle
Peleş Castle has a 3,200-square-metre (34,000 sq ft) floor plan with over 170 rooms, many with dedicated themes from world cultures (in a similar fashion as other Romanian palaces, like Cotroceni Palace). Themes vary by function (offices, libraries, armories, art galleries) or by style (Florentine, Turkish, Moorish, French, Imperial); all the rooms are extremely lavishly furnished and decorated to the slightest detail. There are 30 bathrooms.
The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in Eastern and Central Europe, consisting of statues, paintings, furniture, arms and armor, gold, silver, stained glass, ivory, fine china, tapestries, and rugs. The collection of arms and armor has over 4,000 pieces, divided between Eastern and Western war pieces and ceremonial or hunting pieces, spreading over four centuries of history.
Oriental rugs come from many sources: Bukhara, Mosul, Isparta, Saruk, and Smirna. The porcelain is from Sèvres and Meissen; the leather is from Córdoba. Perhaps the most acclaimed items are the hand-painted stained glass vitralios, which are mostly Swiss.
A towering statue of King Carol I by Raffaello Romanelli overlooks the main entrance. Many other statues are present on the seven Italian neo-Renaissance terrace gardens, mostly of Carrara marble executed by the Italian sculptor Romanelli. The gardens also host fountains, urns, stairways, guarding lions, marble paths, and other decorative pieces.
Pelișor Castle
Is a castle in Sinaia, Romania, part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleș. It was built in 1899–1902 by order of King Carol I, as the residence for his nephew and heir, the future King Ferdinand (son of Carol’s brother Leopold von Hohenzollern) and Ferdinand’s consort Queen Marie.
In 2006, it was decided that the palace complex, including Pelișor, long a museum and tourist site, is the legal property of the heirs of the Romanian royal family. They will take legal possession of it and sell it back to the Romanian state, so that it will remain in its current status.[1] The main castle of Peleș has already so sold, but negotiations about other villas and chateaus are ongoing.
King Michael I of Romania appears decisive that of the complex, Pelișor castle will remain as place for his heirs, the Royal Family.
Pelișor was designed by the Czech architect Karel Liman in the Art Nouveau style; the furniture and the interior decorations were designed mostly by the Viennese Bernhard Ludwig. There are several chambers, working cabinets, a chapel, and “the golden room”.
Queen Marie herself, an accomplished artist, made many of the artistic decisions about the design of the palace, and participated in its decoration, including as a painter. Queen Marie considered Art Nouveau a weapon against sterile historicism, creating a personal style combining Art-Nouveau elements with Byzantine and Celtic elements.
The Economat and Old Guard
The Economat was initially a modest house, but remade later with germanic influences. With 52 rooms, the Economat was housing the almost 100 people composing the staff of the royal courty. It stays to this day linked to the Peleș castle as a tourist spot.
George Enescu Memorial House
Villa “Luminis” was the main residence of George Enescu in 1926-1946, the place where he created most of his masterpieces. Enescu had not chosen accidentally Sinaia. Here he was often invited to Peleș Castle by Queen Elizabeth, who always has supported his musical endeavors.
The villa was built between 1923-1926 by architect Radu Dudescu in an authentic Romanian style consistent with the scenery of Bucegi Mountains. The entire villa is tastefully arranged by combining decorative elements and furniture in Romanian and oriental styles.
In 1990, Luminis Villa entered a process of renovation, restoration and conservation, as starting from 1995, during the George Enescu Festival, became a memorial house at the desire of the great virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin.
If you decide to visit this part of our national heritage, you will have the opportunity to see George Enescu`s piano, made in Lausanne. The piano was the key element in his concerts and in his periods of artistic creativity.
Sinaia Casino
The Sinaia Casino is located in “Dimitrie Ghica” park, Sinaia, Romania and was built at the initiative of King Carol I of Romania.
Construction began in 1912 and was finished a year later. The work was supervised by architect Petre Antonescu, who was also the author of the plans. The main shareholder in the casino was Baron of Marçay, a shareholder in the Monte Carlo Casino. The opening was celebrated with fireworks and a piano recital by George Enescu, and it became a major attraction between the wars.
After the communist takeover in the 1940s, gambling ceased and the casino is now an international conference center.
The Royal Train Stations
Sinaia is the only Romanian town home to two royal train stations. The oldest one was built in 1886 for King Carol I and was a regular stop for the famous Orient Express. The other train station was built between 1938-1940 by decree of King Carol the Second, following the blueprints of Duiliu Marcu.
The Sinaia Monastery
Build in the late 1600s, the monument was used especially as a defense instrument and as a protection element for the commercial rode on the Prahova Valley. Because of its strategic location, the monastery was often damaged, but it kept standing still.
Dimitrie Ghica Park Sinaia
In addition to that, at the entrance of the park, there is the bust of the actor Ion ( Iancu ) Brezeanu who has been named The Honorary Citizen of Sinaia. At the end of the park facing the casino, can be found a little museum-The Musem of the Bucegi Reserve.
The Bucegi Reservation Museum
The museum, located in the Dimitrie Ghica Park, was opened in 1976 by Margareta Moșneaga and it houses species from the Bucegi Mountains fauna and flora.
Train Museum Sinaia
Museum of trains channel is near the train station in Sinaia. This \”collection of railway Micropatterned permanent assets\” was made available to the public since September 2009 by the family Drera for all railway enthusiasts.
Collection was completed minitrenulete of old locomotive, railway heritage watches and phones.
One of the curiosities museum is Pauker sedan that goes on itself. Ana Pauker bought a Mercedes, and special wheels mounted train, lead and armored doors used to move rail with him.