Place to see: Peles Castle, Sinaia, Romania

About this place:

The Peles Castle is situated near the city of Sinaia, some 130 km (80 mi) north of Romania’s capital, Bucharest. It has been built between 1873 and 1883 as the summer retreat for King Carol I of Romania, and is the world's first castle fully operated by electric power.

It is built as a grand palatial alpine villa combining different structures of classic European styles, mostly following German aesthetics in Renaissance lines, but one can easily discover elements belonging to the Italian Renaissance, Gothic, German Baroque and French Rococo style.

The Peleş Castle was built in wood, stone, bricks and marble, has 3200 sq. meters of floor plan, over 170 rooms, many with dedicated themes from world cultures, themes that can vary by function (offices, libraries, armories, art galleries) or by style (Florentine, Turkish, Moorish, French, Imperial) all extremely lavishly furnished and decorated to the slightest detail.

The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in East and Central Europe - it shelters one of the most important and most valuable painting collections in Europe, almost 2,000 pieces; the collection of arms and armor has over 4000 pieces.

Many parts of the castle are accessible to the public. However, an important area in the upper levels is usually off limits, and is open to the public on just one day every month. The visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Tuesday through Sunday, with the castle being closed on Mondays. These visiting hours are subject to change in tourist seasons. Each year in November the castle is closed to the public for the whole month for restauration. Admission fee is 12 RON. Additionally you must check your camera or pay 30 RON to take photos or 50 RON for video.