Romania...mystery and magic, beaty and purity,the place where legends are born. This should be everybody's dream.
Romania is a medium size teritory, situated in the central part of Europe with regions that seem to be forgotten even by time. Natitves of these regions consider Romania to be God's Realm. And so it seems. After leaving Bucharest, the capital of Romania, crossing the mountains and arriving in Transylvania, it's like you take a time machine to another era, hundreds of years behind. If you get to have a vacation in Romania, you will surely fall in love with these lands. People that live here, are still pure with medieval daily activities; places that haven't been touched by modern technology, no cellphones, no computers. Natives are so friendly that they will surely invite you by no reason in theirs home to have something to eat, just because you are a stranger on the road. So you don't have to worry about not finding a hotel in time. If you feel like visiting this place by your own you should have a well established program. You can get almost in any place by train and bus. But, all the means of transport are dirty and not taken care off. Trains to different areas are at long distance one from another, so you will really have to establish a tough itinerary to face this.
Thought, i strongly suggest that you should take one of those group tours. If you'd like to make a tour of your own, with a proper guide's assistance you could Rent a car in Romania. You can also benefit of our Romania tours
Part of the Transylvania region of Romania, Brasov is an up and coming city that is centrally located approximately 160 kilometres from Bucharest.
The population of Brasov is growing at a steady rate and is currently approaching the 300,000 mark.
Brasov is one of the largest and most cherished cities of the country. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, it was a perfect place for a medieval settlement.
The old city, founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211, is one of the best preserved cities in all of Europe.
It was thoroughly restored to the delight of an increasing number of tourists. It is the capital City of Brasov County, in central Romania, in Transylvania, at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains.
Brasov also makes a fabulous base for exploring the surrounding countryside where the air is clean and the people friendly.
The exact origins of Brasov are not known, but there is a definite mention of a settlement in the area in an ancient German document, where it is referred to as Terra Saxonum de Barasu translates as Saxon Land of Baras.
It was not until 1918, when Transylvania became part of Romania, that the region became affiliated with the State of Romania.
Following both World Wars, the area saw an increase in the numbers of Germans fleeing to neighbouring countries.
This continued immediately after the Second World War, when the city became communist and many inhabitants travelled back to Germany to escape the regime.
During the 1950s, the city was named Orasul Stalin, after the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. This name disappeared in 1960 when the communist regime loosened its ties with Moscow.
Centrally located Brasov is a good starting point for trips around Romania. The city is situated at fairly equal distances from several tourism destinations in the country.
Just 12km or 7 miles away from Brasov city you will find Romania`s most famous skiing resort, Poiana Brasov.
It is referred to in ski directories all over the world. The snow layer lasts for 120 days a year.
It features great hotels and restaurants, modern winter sports facilities and numerous ski slopes.
The Black Sea resorts, the monasteries in northern Moldavia, and the well preserved wooden churches of Maramures.
It is also the largest city in a mountain resorts area. The old city itself is very well preserved, and is best seen by taking the cable car to the top of Tampa Hill which is 995m, a beautiful lookout.
Temperatures from May to September fluctuate around 23C or 75F.
Brasov benefits from a winter tourism season centered on winter sports and other activities.
There are many regions in this world that are worth a visit, and very often we Europeans tend to travel overseas to see something exotic, or visit people who still lead a life that perhaps our grandfathers knew. Rarely it occurs to us that it is not always necessary to travel far to be able to experience "time travel".
Maramures in northern Romania is one such little known corner of Europe. Amid beautiful rolling hills and lush river valleys live people who for the most part still follow the traditional agrarian way of life. Their life might seem hard and simple and it is a millenarian fight against the weather, to grow the crops, to raise the animals, to work from dawn until sunset without the many mechanized and electronic comforts we think are essential. But, that life can be rewarding in all its simplicity, as each day shows the results of work, and family and friends guarantee that there are often reasons for celebration. The seasonal festivities, like Christmas and Easter or local festivals and weddings, have retained their real value of breaking the everyday routine, and feasting lasts several days and is done with gusto.
Why is the region considered unique and those who have been there want to return? The answer is a mixture of three things: amazing landscapes, genuine people and the simple civilization of wood, with the famous wooden churches whose towers can be seen from far. The nature, people, houses and churches are spiritually connected and have maintained this link to the present.
But most of all is the uniqueness of the architecture is the inclusion of eight wooden churches in UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. These churches are the church of the Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple in Barsana, the church of Saint Nicholas in Budesti, the church of Saint Parasceva in Desesti, the church of the Birth of the Holy Virgin in Ieud Deal, the church of the Holy Archangels in Plopis, the church of Saint Parasceva in Poienile Izei, the church of the Holy Archangels in Rogoz, and the church of the Holy Archangels in Surdesti.
Our guidebook: Maramures – A Travel Guide to Romania 's Region of Wooden Churches is an excellent full-color book on a wide variety of cultural heritage subjects from mural paintings and archaeology to architecture and local traditions. It also gives practical information and tips on travel to and in Romania, what to see, where to stay, what to buy and to eat, to get the most of Maramures.
Why a guidebook and not another type of book? Because we consider that a cultural guidebook addresses those who, while enjoying a memorable holiday, can also help such a special region develop and maintain its specificity and character. To assure the preservation regions like Maramures, it is necessary that they do not fall into total oblivion. It is necessary that the young people can remain, find work and live there with their families, while being at the same time aware of the importance of their inheritance. Cultural tourism can be a mutual investment that can bear fruit for everyone. The visitor's joy and the host's joy are both real experiences.
We hope that you will enjoy your travel to Maramures!
Peles Castle from Sinaia (Romania), is nested at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains, in the Prahova Valley and is one of the most beautiful castles in all Europe and in the world.
Short history of Peles Castle
The magnificent Peles Castles, with its fairytale turrets and pointed towers rising above acres of green meadows sprinkled with haystacks, was built as a summer residence by Romania's longest serving monarch, King Carol I, who died and was buried here in 1914, just months after the castle’s completion.
The building of the Peles Castle began in 1873 under the direct order of the Viennese architect Wilhem Doderer and was continued in 1876 by his assistant, Johann Schultz de Lemberg. During 1877-1879 because of the war they abandoned work. The castle was inaugurated on October 7, 1883. The location for the Peles Castle was chosen by the prince Carol I de Hohenzollern, who was to become a king and it draws its name from the neighboring brooks which passes through the courtyard.
Peles Castle was the first castle in Europe to have central heating and electricity. During Ceausescu's era, its 160 rooms, each furnished to reflect a different European country, were used as a private retreat for leading communists and statesmen from around the globe as US president Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Libyan leader Moamar Gaddafi and PLO leader Yasser Arafat.
Peles Castle´s architecture and design
Inaugurated in 1883, Peles Castle is not only a pleasant place during the summer day; it has been conceived to be also a national monument, meant to keep the trophies of the Plevna victory, which explains the castle´s majestic style.
Peles Castle was built in wood, stone, bricks and marble and comprises more than 160 rooms. The representative style used is German Renaissance, but one can easily discover elements belonging to the Italian Renaissance, Gothic, German Baroque and French Rococo style.
Peles Castle is surrounded by seven terraces decorated with statues (sculptured by the Italian, Romanelli), stone-made-wells, ornamental vases and Carara marble. The architects used an abundance of wooden decoration, both for the exterior and for the interior of the castle, which confers a very special quality to the building.
Peles Castle´s courtyard in Bramantes style with a fountain in the middle, in the most accurate Renaissance style, pleasantly surprises the visitor. The courtyard has a merry decoration, made out of plants and flowers; all round, the building's facades are animated by elegant drawings. The interior of the castle is a true wonder, due to the beauty and richness of the sculpted wood and the stained glass windows. As you get in the vestibule, you are on the Honor Staircase, in front of the most important rulers of old Romania: Holy Stephen the Great, and Michael the Brave.
Peles Castle’s interiors are an opulent display of elegant design and historical artifact. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls covered with Cordoba leather, Meissen and Sevres porcelains, ebony and ivory sculptures.
Peles Castle most outstanding rooms are the Big Armory Room, the small Armory Room, the Florentine Room, the Reception Room (where paintings and wooden sculptures depicting 16 castles of the Hohenzollerns are exhibited), the Moresque Room, The French Room, the Turkish Room, the Council Room, the Concert Room as well as the Imperial Suite.
Other exquisite attractions at Peles Castle are the statues, the ceramics, the gold and silver plates, the Meissen and Sevres porcelain, as well as the extensive weapon collections are worth mentioning. It is also important to know that Peles Castle shelters one of the most important and most valuable painting collections in Europe, almost 2.000 pieces.
Rembrandt reproductions line the walls of the king's office at Peles Castle while rows of books in the library conceals a secret passage leading to the 2nd floor of the castle. There is a gallery of mirrors and the dining room has a leather clad ceiling. Scenes from age old Romanian fairytales adorn the stained glass windows in the poetry room.
In the Florence hall, Michelangelo's reproductions hang below a ceiling carved from glide linden wood. The Venetian room is equally impressive.
Several other buildings, annexed to Peles Castle, were built simultaneously: The Guard's Chambers, The Economat Building, The Foisor Hunting House with 42 rooms designed in Swiss style, The Royal Stables, and the Electrical Power Plant. The Sipot Villa was constructed later. This would serve as the work site of architect Karel Liman. Liman would later supervise the building of Pelisor (1889-1903, the future residence of King Ferdinand and Queen Mary of Romania). as well as of the King's Ferdinand Vila in the Royal Sheepfold Meadow
Almost adjacent to Peles Castle is Pelisor ("Little Peles"). King Ferdinand, who succeeded Carol I, intended to use Peles Castle as a summer residence. Supposedly he found Peles too big and overwhelming, so he commissioned the smaller, art-nouveau style, Pelisor Castle. Pelisor's 70 rooms feature a unique collection of turn-of-the century Viennese furniture and Tiffany and Lalique glassware.
Peles Castle opening hours:
June through September
Open: Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Closed: Monday
October through May
Open: Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
Please note that Peles Castle is closed during the whole month of November.
Access to Sinaia: road and rail.
Nearby attractions: the city of Brasov, Bran Castle or Dragula´s Castle, Rasnov Fortress, the ski resorts in Predeal and Poiana Brasov, Bucharest, Sighisoara, Sibiu.
