Description of the peles castle. Sinaia, romania - peles castle inside

I love palaces. This is not only an opportunity to feel like a nonentity to see the life of kings, but also a chance to see a large number of outlandish gizmos. Today we are going to the Peles palace castle, where the king of Romania lived. And I have to tell you a really cool hut! The boys knew how to live well, and I declare with confidence that if you have not been to Peles, you have not been to Romania at all, or rather, you have not learned anything about it. After all, there ...However, first things first 🙂

How to get to Sinaia and Peles castle

My journey began from the capital of Romania -. I have already written about him earlier. It was in Bucharest that I got on one of those ugly, pop-eyed locomotives and rushed to a small mountain town.

However, I did not have to yawn: the trains were passing, so I looked both ways so as not to pass my stop.

Advice from Gava! The peculiarity of the railway roads of Romania is that tickets can be bought online. You buy online - the price is much lower. I advise you to go to the site and find out the terms of purchase. It is better to go early in the morning to see everything and leave in the evening for the next city of Romania - Brasov.

It was sad on the platform in Sinai, the city met with rain. But not for long!
Romanian locomotive with eyes turned out to be very comfortable inside

Excursions here

If you want a tour of the sights of the cities of Transylvania, including Sinai, then here are a couple of the most popular ones:

Mountain town of Romania - Sinaia

Here we are at the place. As you may have noticed, Sinai is a word that is well known to Russians who visit Egypt, because there is Sinai there too, and this coincidence is not accidental.

Sinaia today is a popular ski resort

The Egyptian and Romanian Sinai are closely related, because in the 17th century the Romanian prince Mikhail Cantacuzino made a pilgrimage to the holy places of Jerusalem, Nazareth, and also visited the Sinai Peninsula, where he visited the Monastery with the Church of St. Catherine. Inspired by the extraordinary beauty of the monastery, the prince built something similar in his country. So, back in 1695, the Sinai Monastery appeared in the mountains of Romania.

It's funny that no one from Russia sells tours to Romania. Everyone sells tours to Transylvania.

Sinai later became a city. And now it is a ski resort with stunning landscapes and interesting architecture, somewhat reminiscent of Bavarian buildings. It is cozy, clean and beautiful here.

We went to the Peles castle, moving our mustache along the way and capturing interesting architecture.

The architecture in Sinai is truly unusual. It's a mix of styles ...
... during the English Renaissance, German Baroque and French Rococo. At least shoot a movie!

Sinaia monastery

My way to the Peles Palace went through the famous monastery. As I wrote above, it was thanks to him that the city received such a name. The monastery itself is known for the fact that, firstly, it was the very first electrified in Romania, and, secondly, it has a huge bell weighing 1700 kg. It is located on the bell tower-gate.

There is a legend: when the Turks came to plunder Transylvania, they made it to Sinai. The monks did not want to be plundered, so they collected all the gold and valuables, put it under the bell, and removed the bell itself. The Turks came, saw that the monks were some kind of rogue, did not think to raise the bell of 1700 kg, and left with nothing. So the monks have retained their charm.

Advice from Gava! The entrance fee to the monastery is 5 lei. Now everyone who is not lazy makes money on everything. But! If you come there too early, there will be no one at the entrance, you can go in and look just like that. By the way, this applies to all open complexes in Romania. Came early - passed for free. Take note 🙂

From the monastery to the Peles palace, I found a wonderful pedestrian path along which I advise you to walk too: wonderful views open up, and the path here is the shortest, you don't need to make a huge detour. In addition, various souvenirs and sweets will be sold along the way.

Peles Castle. Who gets up early, the Russian guide!

And here he is - Peles Castle. You can also call it a palace - it is really beautiful! This miracle of architecture was built at the beginning of the 20th century for King Carol I.

A bit of Wikipedia: King Karol I (1839-1914) first visited these places in 1866, they reminded him of his native Germany, and he was forever captivated by them. In 1872, these lands (approximately 5.3 sq. Km) were bought by the king, and began to be called By the royal domain of Sinai destined to become the royal hunting grounds and summer residence of the monarch.

The first three architectural designs of the castle actually copied other Western European palaces, and Karol I rejected them because they were too expensive and not original enough. Architect Johann Schulz presented a more interesting project that pleased the king: a small palace, or rather a spacious Alpine-style mansion, combining Italian elegance with the aesthetics of the German Neo-Renaissance. The construction cost (between 1875 and 1914) was estimated at approximately 16 million Romanian gold lei (approximately 120 million US dollars today).

The castle is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, Wednesday to Sunday. The cost of one floor is 20 lei / person, for two floors - 50 lei / person. Photo and video filming - 30 lei. Entry in strictly organized groups.

Having decided on the choice of style, the castle was built. It was built for more than one year. And then his ordeals began: originally intended to become “the cradle of a dynasty, the cradle of the nation”, the castle did not fulfill its purpose, and it was nationalized, made a museum.

Under Ceausescu (the communist dictator of Romania, if anyone did not know), he was generally closed to the public. After the “Romanian Revolution” of 1989, it was reopened to the public. And in 2006 he was returned to the royal house of Romania. King Micah (who is still alive and lives in Bucharest in his small palace) made a museum out of it. Now it is open to tourists for almost a whole year, except for November.

There is a very beautiful palace and park complex in front of the palace. Not Versailles and Peterhof, of course. But very nice and cozy. Be sure to go

Who gets up early, ...
... then a Russian guide 🙂

There is also a monument to Elizabeth, the wife of Carol I. As the guide told us, she was very fond of needlework, so the moment when she is embroidering is captured in the statue. Probably darning her husband's socks 🙂

Elizabeth the needlewoman. Sews socks for her husband 🙂

The entrance to the castle is only by organized groups with excursions. Unfortunately, singles are not allowed at all.

As for the cost, only two floors can be visited in the castle itself. The third is still closed. Therefore, tickets are divided by price. Those who want only 1 floor - 20 lei per person, 2 floors - 50 lei.

I strongly advise you to take for 50! You will not regret it and see all the delights of the complex. Photo and video filming is also for an additional fee - 20-30 lei.

Students and female students. Take your student ID - instead of 50 lei you will pay 12 lei. The savings are huge! Cashiers do not really look at what is written in it, but check the fact of availability (not like in the Parthenon in Athens, everything is checked thoroughly there)

There is one Russian speaking guide. By the way, the group I joined was lucky ofigenski and we got to him. Why? And who gets up early, that ... excursion in Russian 🙂 Well, let's go to watch?

Peles Castle. Who was the king hiding from?

The Russian-speaking guide (we were surprised by her Russian, on which she even joked) gave a very good excursion. I, as a mouse, have seen a lot of things, I definitely recommend.

Fotkal on sneakers in economy mode, so sorry.

The ceiling in the castle is modeled on the ceiling in the Palace of Parliament.
However, this ceiling also slides open for ventilation!

As a male mouse, I really liked the weapon room. The king is simply the best! Collected cool things from all over the world: here and sabers, halberds, armor of Europe and Asia. There are even from Africa! I walked straight with my mouth open, my mustache did not move. They also froze from the exposure.

The palace is very beautiful inside, each hall is decorated in its own way and is very interesting. For example, a library. Needless to say, there is a secret passage behind the books to the king's bedrooms. Quoting the guide: “The king was very fond of hiding. Especially from the queen ... ”(sly smile). I don't know why he was hiding from her. Maybe he didn't want to measure sewn socks.

- Dear, I sewed you new socks! ...
... And in response, silence 🙂

In addition to its inner beauty, the palace was truly innovative and ahead of the rest. As I said before, Peles Castle was the first electrified building in Romania. The whole city of Sinai, by the way, is similar. The elevator is still (!) Working here. Just 120 years old. The elevator has been operating for 120 years! But that's not all.

There is also a boiler room that heats the entire castle (air ducts with warm air blow directly on you when you walk along the corridors). And Karl, you won’t believe, but there was a vacuum cleaner that works too!

There are special sockets along the corridors, where the tube from the vacuum cleaner was connected and the castle workers could vacuum the fleecy surfaces.

In general, this is so far the best that I have seen in castles of this format. Definitely a must. If you have not been to Peles, you have not been to Romania.

Peleshor castle

Having enjoyed the beauty of Peles with might and main, we went to the Peleshor castle, which is located nearby. Compared to his big brother - Peleshor, of course, lags behind. It was built by King Carol I for his heir, Prince Ferdinand. It is less pretentious, and quite small.

You can already walk here on your own, without a guide. Those who wish - an audio guide to help, which I took and, to be honest, regretted it. There are a lot of blunders and other absurdities, so I do not advise taking it. Walk around and see.

And this is considered the most beautiful room - the golden room of Peleshor. On the ceiling is the monogram of the royal couple, and all the walls are covered with gilded carvings:

The cost of the trip from Bucharest to Sinai - lei. The whole way is about 120 km or 2 hours of your time. The train rushes with the breeze, the seats are comfortable for the priests, soft.
The entrance fee to the Sinai Monastery is 5 lei. Came early in the morning - passed for free.
Entrance to the Peles castle - from 20 to 50 lei, depending on the program (how many floors you go). Discounts for students. There is a student one, take it by all means!
You can eat in the city center. There are many cafes and a huge supermarket. On average - 30-50 lei per person (the town is tourist, therefore the prices are higher than in Bucharest)
It is better to take train tickets online - because they are cheaper.

Who does not repost, that fat cat! Not a cat? 🐭 Tell your friends, they are also interested!

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Peles Castle - located on the medieval route connecting Transylvania and Wallachia, in a picturesque place in the Carpathians, near the city of Sinaia in Romania. The castle was built in the neo-Renaissance style between 1873 and 1914 and was inaugurated in 1883. The name was given to him by a nearby mountain river. Nowadays, the castle is a historical monument with over 160 rooms. All are exquisitely decorated and luxuriously furnished. It houses a rich collection of works of art, which include items of silver and gold, porcelain, furniture, armor and weapons, carpets and tapestries, European painting and sculpture.

Karol I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

King Karol I (1839-1914) first visited these places in 1866, they reminded him of his native Germany, and he was forever captivated by them. In 1872, these lands (approximately 5.3 square kilometers) were purchased by the king and became known as the Royal Domain of Sinai, intended to become the royal hunting grounds and the summer residence of the monarch.

The King of Romania, Carol I (in general, it sounds, yes - the king - Carol I) was from the Hans (in general, the Hans rebuilt Transylvania, for this reason it looks pretty decent to itself, unlike the steppe Bucharest), so that the castle immediately feels Germanic motives.

Near the palace there are terraces with a bunch of sculptures, they look great, in general the place is very ethetic, and the palace and statues and nature, everything is wildly beautiful and the soul was directly happy.

Monument to Karol I

Beloved wife

Favorite dog

Lions have signs of Graves' disease)).

The first three architectural designs of the castle actually copied other Western European palaces, and Karol I rejected them because they were too expensive and not original enough.

The architect Johann Schulz presented a more interesting project that pleased the king: a small palace or rather a spacious Alpine-style mansion, combining Italian elegance with the aesthetics of the German Neo-Renaissance. The construction cost (between 1875 and 1914) was estimated at approximately 16 million Romanian gold lei (approximately 120 million US dollars today).

The castle was founded on August 22, 1873. At the same time, other buildings associated with the castle were built: a guard house, a hunting lodge, royal stables, etc. In addition, a power plant was built, and Peles became the first electrified castle in the world. Three or four hundred people were constantly working on the construction of the castle.

Elizaveta Neuvidskaya

Queen Elizabeth wrote in her diary during construction:

Italians were bricklayers, Romanians built terraces, gypsies were laborers. Albanians and Greeks worked in stone, Germans and Hungarians were carpenters. The Turks burned bricks. The engineers were Poles, and the Czechs were stone carvers. The French painted, the British measured - there were hundreds of people in national costumes, who spoke, sang, swore and chatted in fourteen languages ...

Construction was somewhat suspended during the Romanian War of Independence of 1877-78, but then it accelerated a lot. The ball for the inauguration of the castle took place on the 7th October 1883. In 1893, Karol II was born in the Peles castle, giving meaning to the name given to the castle by King Karol I - “the cradle of the dynasty, the cradle of the nation”.

Karol II

In 1947, following the forced abdication of King Mihai, the communists confiscated all royal property, including the Peles manor and castle.

For some time, the castle was open to tourists, and in 1953 it was declared a museum. The estate also served as a recreation area for Romanian cultural figures. During the last years of communist rule, between 1975-1990, Nicolae Ceausescu closed this area for visits, only attendants and security were allowed here.

It is curious that Ceausescu did not like the castle and rarely visited it. They say that the museum workers, knowing that the Ceausescu couple suffered from health-related phobias, announced that the building was infected with the dangerous fungus Serpula lacrymans, which was indeed quite common in the 1980s, but only affected wood.

After the Romanian revolution of 1989, the Peles and Pelisor castles were reopened to tourists. In 2006, the Romanian government announced the return of the castle to former King Mihai I. Soon after the king acquired his property, negotiations between him and the government resumed, and Peles again became a national treasure, open to the public as a historical monument and museum. In return, the Romanian government donated € 30 million to the Romanian royal house. Since its opening, Peles Castle has received almost half a million visitors annually.

In 2008, the castle was used on the set of the Bloom Brothers - the surroundings of the castle depicted a large estate in New Jersey, home of the eccentric millionaire Penelope (starring Rachel Weisz).

Since its opening, Peles Castle has received almost half a million visitors annually. But, unfortunately, there are almost no Russians among them. For this reason, excursions in Russian, unfortunately, are not conducted here either. At the main entrance there is a statue of King Carol I, the work of the Italian sculptor Rafaello Romanelli, he also owns the statues of Carrara marble, located on seven lovely 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 Karol the first for embroidery - traditional Romanian art. The gardens and terraces are decorated with fountains, urns, stairs, lions, beautiful statues and other decorative details.

The collection of weapons and armor has over 4,000 items.

The first architect of the castle was the German Johann Schulz (1876-1883), his successor was the Czech architect Karel Liman.

By its structure and functions, Peles is a palace, but everyone lovingly calls it a castle. The main architectural style is neo-Renaissance, but the half-timbered facades of the courtyard with their luxuriously painted walls have a Saxon influence, and the interiors decorated with rich wood carvings and exquisite fabrics have a Baroque influence.

Peles Castle has 3200 m² of area, more than 160 rooms, 30 bathrooms, luxuriously furnished and exquisitely decorated.

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, and there are about 10,000 of them, were in the permanent royal residence in Bucharest.

The dining room is designed and decorated using a wide variety of different types of wood, including exotic woods. Furniture in the German Baroque style. The original stained glass windows by Munich craftsmen depict scenes from the life of the German nobility. The ceiling and chairs are covered in Cordoba leather.

It houses one of the finest collections of art in Eastern and Central Europe, which includes sculpture, paintings, furniture, weapons and armor, gold and silverware, ivory, porcelain, carpets and tapestries. The collection of weapons and armor has over 4,000 items.

The front lobby panels have two rows of alabaster bas-reliefs (marble plaster) depicting mythological, biblical and historical scenes. Rich murals on the walls depict 18 castles in Germany and Switzerland - the residences of the Hohenzolern dynasty. Oriental carpets were made in the best workshops in Bukhara, Mosul, Isparta and Smyrna. The collection of Sevres and Meissen porcelain, leather from Cordoba is striking, but the most impressive is the hand-painted stained glass from Switzerland.

Karol the First's study 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 at which the king worked. The room containing the library is finished with carved oak wood paneling. 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, and there are about 10,000 of them, were in the permanent royal residence in Bucharest.

At the main entrance stands a statue of King Carol I by the Italian sculptor Rafaello Romanelli, and he also owns the Carrara marble statues located on seven lovely Italian neo-Renaissance terraces surrounding the castle. There is also a monument to Queen Elizabeth in the park, depicting the wife of Karol I embroidering - a traditional Romanian art.

The gardens and terraces are decorated with fountains, urns, stairs, lions, beautiful statues and other decorative details.

The museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm from Wednesday to Sunday. The castle is closed to the public in November.

Of the 168 rooms of the castle, 35 are open for visits. Visits only with a guide in groups that are recruited by language. There are excursions in Russian for excursion groups

Since everything in the Peles castle gives off originality, the architects could not ignore even the ceilings. Instead of standard ceilings, the castle has stained-glass windows. And not just stained-glass windows, but sliding stained-glass windows. They do not spoil the overall ensemble, but only complement it. The natural ventilation of the castle is still carried out with the help of these stained glass windows.

The Moorish Hall is the third reception hall of Peles Castle. Made in Arabic style with numerous inlays of ivory and mother-of-pearl. On the walls there are oriental weapons of the 15th - 18th centuries.

Location

The castle is located in the northwest of the city of Sinaia, 60 km from the city of Brasov and 135 km from Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Buses run from Brasov to Sinai at intervals of half an hour or an hour, from the Gara de Nord station in Bucharest there are regular trains to Brasov, stopping in Sinai, the travel time is about 2 hours.

The tourist complex of Sinaia also includes the Pelisor castle, located next to the Peles castle.

Peles Castle is located on the banks of a mountain stream, whose name it bears. This is the diamond in the necklace of the castles of Eastern Europe, this is the pride of the Romanian kings. 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 is different from all the artsy and pompous castles in Western Europe. Its style can be described as a light Swiss chalet. It is incredibly gorgeous, there is simply dazzling architecture, but in some ways, there is restraint, unlike all other castles. Most likely, this is due to the mixing of styles?

Architects Wilhelm Doder from Vienna and Johann Schultz from Lvov had a difficult task to solve, but they did it with a bang. They just took all the most famous architectural styles at that time and mixed them in one building, so that it all did not look chaotic. The construction of the castle has been carried out since 1875, under the strict guidance of these two geniuses.

The castle was built at the same time as a power plant on the river flowing nearby, so Peles is also the first electrified castle in Romania. It was not for nothing that Karol gave the castle the name Peles, which meant the cradle of the nation. When Karol the First was dying, he ordered his son to make a museum out of Peles. After the death of his father, Karol II, as an obedient son, fulfilled his dying will. The castle began to work as a museum, remaining a royal domain.

If you are looking for a castle that is rich externally and internally, then you better not find Peles! A huge number of sculptures, a gorgeous park around, incredible frescoes on the walls, wood carvings that adorn the facade of the house, interior decoration, walls, furniture are legendary. This is the richest castle in Europe. Not even a year will be enough to explore all of its treasures.

You can talk about this castle for hours. The architect fits perfectly into the landscape that surrounds him. A snow-white building with dark wood trim, a peaked turret, many patterns on the windows, on the roofs, on the balustrades. And everywhere there are frescoes. The picture is complemented by beautiful lanterns in the park, many sculptures.

We learned an amazing story from a blogger about the history of Peles Castle, which is located in Romania.

Once the Bucedzhsky massif in the southern Carpathians was known as a wild place. Not everyone dared to set out on a journey along the "princely road" - a mountain path winding among the rocks along the Prahova River. If you believe the legend, the history of this land was abruptly changed by one episode of the medieval boyar feuds. ... Spantar (military leader) Mikhail Cantakuzino was leaving on the "princely road" from the chase sent by the leader of the rival principality ... The frantic race drained 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, build a monastery on this place. The enemies lost track of Mihai, and six years later, returning to his homeland after wandering around foreign lands, he kept his word. And since the monastery, built by his order, was a copy of Sinai, which struck a spantar during his eastern wanderings, then 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 grow overgrown with land, took over the surrounding vineyards, pastures, salt and oil developments. 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 fate to King Karol I and the Peles Castle that he built here.

Karol (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.

Traveling around his new possessions, the founder of the Hohenzollern dynasty - Sigmaringen in 1867 found himself in Sinai and, fascinated 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 entourage, hotels and sanatoriums for wealthy mountain air lovers began to grow.

The best architects, sculptors, interior designers from different parts of Europe worked on the ensemble of buildings scattered across the royal park. In the main one, which served as the residence of Karol himself, is now a museum, where crowds of tourists meet the ancestral portraits of the Hohenzollerns, ancient weapons on the walls, mannequins in knightly armor, magnificent stained glass windows by German masters. There are also giant Venetian glass mirrors, cozy living rooms in Moorish and Turkish styles, and an orchestrion music cabinet ordered 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, there is not a word about the castle in the guidebooks of the 70s-80s of the last century! The secret is simple: the family home of the Hohenzollerns 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 where today's pilgrimage of tourists comes, queuing up to enter 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 her chronicles: the founder of the dynasty died here, and Karol II, the father of the last Romanian monarch Mihai I, was born here. But nowadays, Peles' toy buildings and sculptural groups a la Versailles are no longer associated with the "gloomy German genius" ... The only exception, perhaps, is the monument to Karol I, who sternly gazes at his possessions from under the visor of a military cap. Nevertheless, the Prussians lived here ...

The castle was built at the same time as a power plant on the river flowing nearby, so Peles is also the first electrified castle in Romania. The castle was built literally by the whole world. Gypsies, Turks, Poles, and Czechs worked on it. A real international. During the War of Independence, construction slowed down, but after that, it boiled with renewed vigor. Karol II was born in this castle. No wonder his father gave the castle the name Peles, which meant the cradle of the nation. When Karol the First was dying, he ordered his son to make a museum out of Peles. After the death of his father, Karol II, as an obedient son, fulfilled his dying will. The castle began to work as a museum, remaining a royal domain. As a royal apartment, the castle did not last long. After the communists came to power, the castle was confiscated into public property and miraculously not plundered.

After a while, the castle becomes a museum. From 1975 to 1990, the castle is closed to the public. As you know, the then leader of the com. Party of Romania Nokolas Ceausescu suffered from a whole range of phobias. So, so that the castle would not be ravaged by the zealous relatives of the then power, the museum workers came up with a legend that a fungus has wound up in the castle, which spoils the wood, and is very harmful to humans. True or not, Ceausescu never showed up at the castle. In 1989, Romania becomes a capitalist country. In 2006, the castle was returned to the former king. Mihai took over, 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 trepidation. Many famous films have been filmed here.

The front lobby is the highest room of the Peles Castle - 3 floors, 12 meters high. The hall reproduces the famous German Chamber of Commerce in Lübeck. Furniture in the Italian Renaissance. Initially it served as a courtyard. In 1911 it was covered with a mobile ceiling, which can be opened even today to ventilate the room. This room was decorated with wood and you can see 2000 figures in it. The panels have 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 seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty.

Hall of European Weapons - Decorated in the German Renaissance. The hall contains European weapons of the 15-19th century. The palace has the second collection in the country - 3,500 weapons. Crossbows, halberds, cannons, shields, 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, corals. The most valuable of them is a Turkish weapon - half a pistol and half a dagger.

The king's study in the 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 at which the king worked.

The King's library in the Peles Palace has about 800 volumes. The rest of the books (about 10,000 were in the permanent royal residence in Bucharest). The library has oak carvings. The hall contains a secret door that 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. Decorated the year the king died. Therefore, a part of the hall was not decorated.

The music hall is a more austere decoration, made of spruce wood. Which also served as a hall for creative evenings. Karola 1 and Elisabeth 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 rooms. The decoration is in the Italian Neo-Renaissance. The hall is richly decorated with marble and carved gilded wood. Original Murano crystal chandeliers. Venetian mirrors that reflect the ceiling. There are original oriental natural silk carpets on the floor.

The dining room is decorated with various wood species. 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 Arabic style with ivory and mother-of-pearl inlays. Linden and plaster ceiling. On the walls there are oriental weapons (15th - 18th centuries). On the carpet and on the stools, there are versets from the Koran.

Eastern Turkish Hall of Peles - an original decoration made of silk embroidery, specific to the Turkish style. On the tables - a hookah, a vessel for burning incense. On the floor is an oriental carpet from Smyrna.
Auditorium - a theater hall in the Peles Palace with 60 seats, in a French setting of the Louis XIV style. In 1906 the hall became a cinema.

Peles Castle was built in the neo-Renaissance style, but the half-timbered facades of the courtyard with their luxuriously painted walls have a Saxon influence, and the interiors, decorated with rich wood carvings and exquisite fabrics, have a Baroque influence. 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 is different from all the artsy and pompous castles in Western Europe. Its style can be described as a light Swiss chalet. It is incredibly gorgeous, there is simply dazzling architecture, but in some ways, there is restraint, unlike all other castles. Most likely, this is due to the mixing of styles.

A huge number of sculptures, a gorgeous park around, incredible frescoes on the walls, wood carvings that adorn the facade of the house, interior decoration, walls, furniture are legendary. You can talk about this castle for hours. It is perfectly inscribed by its first architect, Johann Schulz, into the landscape that surrounds him. A snow-white building with dark wood trim, a peaked turret, many patterns on the windows, on the roofs, on the balustrades. And everywhere there are frescoes. The picture is complemented by beautiful lanterns in the park, many sculptures.

Peles Castle has a huge number of exhibitions that are constantly changing, and not all of its rooms are open to visiting. The collection of weapons, including 4000 items (15-19 centuries, from the East to Europe), is considered to be especially valuable. Another jewel 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 them in Europe either.

Peles Castle area - 3200 sq. meters, which houses more than 160 rooms, 30 bathrooms, luxuriously furnished and exquisitely decorated. Among the many exquisite rooms, differing in style and design, there is a Florentine room, a French room, theater and study rooms. The tableware collection includes Meissen and Sevres porcelain.

In this unique castle there is only one fake, masterfully executed, a props of a fireplace. By the way, an elevator was launched in Peles Castle for the first time in Europe. The ceiling paintings adorn the entire castle are also unique. They do not just repeat, but are absolutely identical to the pattern 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 the Peles castle gives off originality, the architects could not ignore even the ceilings. Instead of standard ceilings, the castle has stained-glass windows, and they are all sliding. Stained-glass windows harmoniously fit into the architectural ensemble of the house. By the way, they are hand-painted by Swedish craftsmen. The natural ventilation of the castle is still carried out with the help of these stained glass windows.

The tallest room in Peles Castle is the front lobby. Its height is 12 meters, which is equal to the height of three floors of the castle. The front lobby is the highest room of the Peles Castle - 3 floors, 12 meters high. The front lobby reproduces the famous German Chamber of Commerce in Lübeck. The furniture here is in the style of the Italian Renaissance. Initially, the front lobby served as an inner courtyard, but at the request of the owners, in 1911 it was covered with a mobile roof, which is still sliding apart to ventilate the room. The front lobby panels have two rows of alabaster bas-reliefs (marble plaster) depicting mythological, biblical and historical scenes. Rich markers on the walls depict 18 castles in Germany and Switzerland - the seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty.

You should definitely pay attention to the hall of European weapons. It is decorated in the style of the German Renaissance. Here are collected unique and rare specimens of European weapons of the 15-19th century. Also in the Peles castle there is a hall of eastern weapons. There are various types of weapons, decorated with gold, silver, precious stones, corals. The most valuable of them is a Turkish weapon - half a pistol and half a dagger. Karol the First's study 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 at which the king worked. The room containing the library is finished with carved oak wood paneling. 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, and there are about 10,000 of them, were in the permanent royal residence in Bucharest.

Another room in the castle that I would like to pay special attention to is the music hall. The décor of the music hall is more austere, made of spruce wood. Noteworthy is the unusually sophisticated furniture set in the music hall. It was presented to Carol the First by an Indian prince. Three generations of craftsmen have been making this set for 104 years. Creative evenings were held in this hall more than once. Here, the great creative personalities of Romanian culture - George Enescu, Vasile Alexandri, Mihai Eminescu and other artists - visited Carol the First and Elisabeth.

The Florentine Hall is the main hall of the Peles Castle, where magnificent receptions were held. The design of this room is in the style of the Italian neo-Renaissance. The rich decor of the Florentine room is made of marble and carved gilded wood. Murano glass chandeliers. The floor is covered with magnificent oriental carpets made of natural silk. The dining room is designed and decorated using a wide variety of different types of wood, including exotic woods. Furniture in the German Baroque style. The original stained glass windows 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 Arabic style with numerous inlays of ivory and mother-of-pearl. On the walls there are oriental weapons of the 15th - 18th centuries.

In the eastern Turkish hall of Peles, there is an original decoration made of silk embroidery inherent in the Turkish style. On the tables - a hookah, 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 executed in the French Baroque style of Louis the fourteenth. In 1906 it was converted into a cinema.

Peles Castle (Castelul Peleş) - my love at first sight. Cozy, beautiful, unusual - just a palace from a Disney fairy tale. And the surrounding nature, including announcements of bears walking there, is also fabulous. King Karol (Karl) I chose a very beautiful place for the palace, it is believed that this place reminded him of his native Germany. Karol I was the longest-serving king of Romania - he was at the throne for 48 years and during his reign he signed the constitution, made Romania an independent country, restored the country's economy and international position. Karol I was married to Elisabeth of Neuwidska; already in the Peles castle they had a daughter who died at the age of 4. Karol did not have direct heirs, and the castle, along with the throne, was inherited by his nephew.

The castle was built for several decades between 1873 and 1914, according to the project of several architects, who took over from each other. First, the process was commanded by Wilhelm von Doderer (1872-1876), professor at the Vienna University of Technology, then Johannes Schultz (he was Dodere's assistant, became chief architect from 1876 to 1883), and then André Émile Lecomte du Nouy (1890 - 1892) .. ...

Doderer proposed several projects for the future castle in the Renaissance style, in the spirit of the charming castles of the Loire Valley and in the style of the Viennese buildings of the famous Ringstrasse. These projects were rejected by the king, and it was then that Schultz appeared on the stage, who built such a wonderful fairy-tale castle. The king liked the Alpine-style castle proposed by Schulz, elegant and with a clear German influence. The castle is not at all like cold medieval castles. Quite the opposite, Peles is a sheer pleasure for the eye, an eye candy. See for yourself what a graceful, seasoned beauty

Peles became the first royal castle equipped with electricity - the power plant was built immediately. Moreover, a central heating and air conditioning system was made in the castle, which is still functioning today. The castle is also equipped with an elevator and a centralized vacuum system (central vacuum) .In the photo - the courtyard, by the way, there are ticket offices, painted with intricate pictures.

Queen Elizabeth wrote about the construction: “Italians were masons, Romanians built terraces, gypsies were laborers. Albanians and Greeks worked in stone, Germans and Hungarians were carpenters. Turks burned bricks. The engineers were Poles, and the Czechs were stone carvers. The French painted, the British measured - there were hundreds of people in national costumes who spoke, sang, swore and chatted in fourteen languages ... "And now the inhabitants of the walls, apparently belonging to the French brush, are quietly watching the visitors

Statues gaze no less silently at the surroundings. Probably, they can see the Peles River, from which the castle got its name.

In 1947, the castle was confiscated by the communists (at the same time King Mihai abdicated), but was opened to tourists. Later, the castle turned into "Peredelkino", and in the period 1975-1990 Ceausescu completely seized it. Only after the revolution in 1989, the castles were reopened to tourists. In 2007, Romania returned Peles to King Mihai I, but only nominally - the castle is still under state control. It is believed that Peles is visited by 500 thousand tourists annually.

If you decide to visit the inner chambers of the castle, keep in mind that the last tour (and you cannot get there without a tour) leaves at 16:15. This tour only includes the first floor tour. If you want to get to the second floor, where the royal bedrooms are located, then come early, before 15:00.

You can take pictures inside the castle, but for this you need to buy a separate permit, which I did not bother with. If you are interested in the interiors of the castle, and they are very attractive, including an unusual chandelier and mirrors in Murano glass, blooming in multi-colored flowers, and the painting of the walls of the theater / cinema, made by my beloved Klimt, then take a look here.

Despite the fact that Peles is a palace, it also has its own stray dogs. Most of them are quite friendly and are not at all afraid of people, but this proud dog preferred to stay on the sidelines, let him get close.

And this one clearly considers itself one of the attractions :)

Next to the main castle, there is a smaller chateau - Peleshor, which opened to tourists not so long ago, in 1993. King Ferdinand I and the favorite of the Romanians, Queen Maria, lived there. Peleshor was built in the half-timbered style with elements of the Romanian style - the towers are covered with multi-colored tiles, which are typical for the churches of Bukovina.

Of course, Peleshor is more of a villa than a palace, but nevertheless, it definitely deserves a visit. According to the project of the then Princess Mary, the interior decoration is made in the Art Deco style and does not at all look like the "palace" chambers.

In a quiet corner of the palace park, we found a souvenir shop with a smiling lacemaker

Even the outbuildings are designed in the style of a palace and look very cute.

To summarize, Peles is a fabulous country residence that you can only dream of :)

Have you seen The Brothers Bloom movie? There Peles pretends to be a country residence in New Jersey :)

Peles Castle official website.

In a picturesque corner of the Carpathian Mountains, on the medieval path that connects Wallachia and Transylvania was built Peles castle(Castelul Peleş).

It is located near the city of Sinaia. The capital is located at a distance of 135 kilometers. The construction of the castle was carried out from 1873 to 1914. The castle got its name in honor of a mountain river flowing in the immediate vicinity.

King Karol I (1839-1914) rejected several of the original castle designs due to the high cost and lack of originality.

However, the architect Johann Schulz was able to design the castle that the king liked: a small castle or rather a spacious palace in the Alpine style, combining Italian elegance with the aesthetics of the German Neo-Renaissance, to serve as a summer residence filled with political, cultural and symbolic meanings.

The architecture of the building is eclectic; a lot of things are mixed here: Rococo, Baroque, and Renaissance.

In addition to the king, his wife Elizabeth was also involved in the construction, in whose letters you can find many references to the construction of Peles. The castle opened only in 1883, but immediately began to be reconstructed. Since the castle was built in the second half of the 19th century, during the period of rapid technological development, it used all the advanced technologies of that time. A power plant was built specifically to supply the castle, and 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.

In 1947, after the forced abdication of the throne of King Mihai, the new government confiscated all royal property, including the Peles manor and castle. Most of the collections of paintings, furniture, textiles, decorative art and books have been donated to the National Art Museum in Bucharest. For some time, the castle was open to tourists, and in 1953 it was declared a museum. The service premises of the castle served as a holiday home for Romanian cultural figures

But at the end of the reign of Nicolae Ceausescu, the Peles castle was closed to visitors and turned into a residence for the country's leadership. It is worth mentioning here the history, thanks to which Nicolae Ceausescu himself very rarely visited him. And all because the museum workers started a rumor that there is a lot of harmful fungus in the castle, and Ceausescu was rather distrustful in terms of his health.

After 1989, Peles was reopened, and in 2006 the Romanian government returned the castle to the royal family. But the dynasty refused Peles for a modest reward - € 30,000,000. The request was fulfilled, and, finally, Peles received the status of a state museum.

The interior design of the castle is not made in the same style.

The castle has 160 living rooms and 30 bathrooms. The interior looks very rich: ebony, porcelain, leather from Cordoba, oriental carpets, tapestries, gold and silver dishes, paintings, sculptures, ivory.

The most interesting for tourists to visit are the library of the king (contains 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 as it is), the dining room, the audience hall (there was cinema), conference hall and halls of Eastern and European weapons. It is also worth looking into the music, Moorish, Florentine, Oriental and Turkish halls. Their names give an idea in what styles the interior of these premises is made and filled.

The park ensemble is also worthy of attention. It is very beautiful here: terraces decorated with beautiful fountains, exquisite staircases, urns, lions, Carrara marble statues and various whimsical decorative details.

Collections of the collections of the Peles castle

Glassware collection

Glassware collection Peles National Museum includes more than 1500 exhibits. The initiative to create the collection belonged to King Karol I, and his followers, especially Queen Mary, continued to enrich it. The collection includes German, Italian, Austrian, English, French and Czech crystal vases made in the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century.

Collection of gold and silver items

This collection consists of approximately 5,500 items, including objects of great artistic and documentary value. The basic collection was created by King Karol I, who ordered items from various artisans from,. The exhibits in the collection belonged to the King and Queen of Romania, other members of the Romanian royal house and their contemporaries. The collection contains many gifts to Romanian monarchs on the occasion of anniversaries, birthdays, holidays dedicated to defining events in the history of Romania. It should be noted that about a third of the collection of silverware is represented by German creations: cups, decorative beer mugs, dishes, decorative figurines, cigarette cases, ties, frames, key chains, hair clips, pens, pencils, glasses rings, decorative plates.

Watch collection

King Karol I was known for his punctuality, therefore this collection of more than fifty clocks of the 18th - 20th centuries: wall, table and floor, miniature and fireplace clocks, of various typology and style, was founded by him with special attention and care. The collection also includes several alarm clocks and pocket watches. The famous Swiss watch company Patek Philippe produced a pocket watch of the first king of Romania in 1881. The watch case is made of pure gold, the monogram is engraved on the caseback, topped with a crown inlaid with diamonds and rubies. This clock is also an exhibit of the museum.

Collection of stained-glass windows.

Revived in the 19th century, the medieval art of stained glass is viewed as an architectural demonstration of Christian sentiments, as a means of depicting divine light that reflects on believers. By order of King Carol I, a collection of stained glass windows from the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation was assembled, as well as specially made between 1881 and 1883 by the FX Zettler company from Munich. The collection contains about 800 stained-glass windows, which are distinguished mainly by the original method of presenting religious scenes.

Weapon collection

There are more than four thousand copies. The most interesting and most valuable exhibit is the original item from: it is half a pistol and half a dagger.

Collection of external monumental sculpture

The Peles Castle of King Karol I is surrounded by a beautiful garden with terraces created between 1881-1914. The political context of the reign of King Carol I as a young monarch prompted him to surround his residence with a corresponding garden. After much hesitation, the king settled on the classical model of the French monarchy, whose ideology was supported and supplemented in landscape architecture. The gardens contain many beautiful fountains and statues.

Textile Collection

Oriental carpets

The purchase of carpets in Peles Castle was carried out in parallel with other items, King Karol I was equally interested in painting, sculpture, furniture, weapons, silver, tapestries, etc. The king's passion for art persisted throughout his life. The collection consists of about 300 oriental carpets, which were made by famous workshops of that time in Persia (the cities of Kirman, Keshan, Tabriz, Isfahan, Khorasan), Turkish Anatolia (the manufactories of Istanbul, Smyrna), in the Caucasus (the workshop of Shirvan, Karabakh) and Turkmenistan (Bukhara) ...

Tapestries

Along with carpets, the textile collection contains some tapestries that are made in famous tapestry centers in Europe (France, Belgium, Italy). The most valuable tapestries from the collection are exhibited in the Hall of Fame, the main reception hall of the castle, made in the Aubusson workshop in France in the middle of the 18th century. A valuable Flemish tapestry in the collection is a tapestry of impressive dimensions (523x270 cm) called "Trajan's Justice", from the middle of the 10th to the 1st century.

Ceramics collection.

In this huge art project, the collection of ceramics (ceramic tiles, porcelain) of the Peles Castle occupies a rather significant place (the collection has more than 5000 exhibits). The collection includes items from European and Oriental craftsmen that were in vogue in the 19th century.

Official website: http://peles.ro

Peles Castle Address

Aleea Peleşului 2, Sinaia 106100, România.

Coordinates: 45.35966, 25.541697.