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Peles Castle Sinaia
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Peles Castle is considered by many one of the most beautiful castles in all Europe. It was the final resting place for several Romanian monarchs including King Carol I, who died here in 1914.
Text below adapted from:
http://www.brasovtravelguide.ro/en/brasov/surroundings/peles-castle.php
The building of the 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 only on October 7, 1883. The location for the castle was chosen by the German prince Carol I de Hohenzollern, who was to become a king and it draws its name from the neighboring brook which passes through the courtyard.
The castle was built in wood, stone, bricks and marble and comprises more than 160 rooms. The main style used is German Renaissance, but one can easily discover elements belonging to the Italian Renaissance, Gothic, German Baroque and French Rococo style.
Peles is surrounded by seven terraces decorated with statues (sculptured by the Italian, Romanelli), stone 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.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2006
Quite outstanding 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 such as the statues, the ceramics, the gold and silver plates, the Meissen and Sevres porcelain, the Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls covered with Cordoba leather, ebony and ivory sculptures, 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.
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.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2006
On the way to Peles Castle.
The mountain road near Cota 1400, at an elevation of 1400 m.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2006
View towards Sinaia from a mountain lookout.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2006
View from Bușteni (Prahova Valley) towards the mountain "The Man" or in Romanian, "Omul".
Mt. Omul is the highest mountain in Transylvania and the second highest mountain in Romania.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2006
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Alexis Project Filiasi/Romania
RC J/263/230/2007 CIF 21464151
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