Unseen Romania

Sinaia, pearl of the Carpathians

THE STORY OF THE PELES CASTLE

The story tells that the city was founded around a monastery hundred years old, named Sinaia Monastery, after the Biblical Mount Sinai. More than one hundred years ago, King Carol I of Romania, ordered the building of a romantic castle placed in the mountains, near the Monastery. The castle was to be built on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania with Wallachia. Shortly after, Sinaia becomes Royal Domain and summer residence. Several other buildings, annexed to the castle, were built simultaneously: The Guard's Chambers, The Economat Building, The Foisor Hunting Chateau, The Royal Stables. The Power Plant was also constructed then, and Peles became world's first castle fully operated by electric power.

During the repressive Communist regime, that seized all royal properties, the whole complex was taken away and open for tourism. Exception made the castle, which became for a short time, a creation and resting place for Romanian cultural personalities. In 1953, the castle was declared a museum, but was closed under the Ceausescu harsh regime. The only persons accepted in this area were maintenance and military guard personnel. The whole area was declared a state protocol interest area. It is well known that the Ceausescu husbands were not very fond of the castle and visited it on rare occasions. It is said that they claimed that the Castle was infested with a dangerous fungus. Later on, it was found out there was indeed that fungus, but it affected only the timber. After the Communist Fall, the castle was re-integrated in the tourism circuit, while the Foisor Castle remains the presidential residence.

Write a comment

Name:
Email:
Subject:
Comment: *

Security Code:
 

Mihai
Posts: 1

Lovely
Reply #1 on : Fri March 14, 2008, 20:37:03

---

Lovely place. Haven't been there in a while but I recall it's beautiful.