Peles Castle Romania Transylvania
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A Day Trip to Peles Castle: a Romanian Treasure in Transylvania

Sherianne Higgins·
Castles, Manors and RuinsRomania Travel
·4 mins read
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Uncover the History and Beauty of Peles Castle

I love castles!  I love palaces too! Peles Castle in Romania feels like a palace.  I love to gaze at all the beautiful museum quality ‘stuff’ and imagine myself living at that location during that period of time.  I hate the red rope that bars me from touching everything.

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Peles Castle Romania Transylvania
Peles Castle

Peles Castle was built in the 19th century by King Carl I. He commissioned the Castle for the royal family’s summer residence. It took 300 workers 2 years to build. The Castle sits on a hilltop in the Carpathian Mountains (aka Transylvanian Alps); the views from the gardens are gorgeous. The King was German and the castle feels like Bavaria; it is a perfect fit for the mountain setting.  “Dozens” of gold coins with the King’s image were buried under the cornerstone of the Castle; today they are known as ‘the small treasure under the castle’.  Peles Castle is without a doubt a Romanian treasure and it is easy to understand why it has been called the most beautiful castle in Europe.

Peles Castle Romania Transylvania
Peles Castle

You know you are about to see something special when you must cover your shoes with plastic slippers before entering and ornate does not even begin to describe the Castle. It consists of 160 rooms; 80 are bedrooms and 30 are bathrooms. Each room is decorated in a different style or theme. There is a Concert Hall, Music Room (India), Turkish Salon, Great Salon (Italy), Council Room (Switzerland), Moor Hall, and so much more. The Royal Library has a secret door and the 60-seat Theater with a royal box showed the first movie projection in Romania in 1906.

Peles Castle Romania Transylvania
Peles Castle

King Carol spared no expense. Peles Castle was the first European castle to have electricity, it even has its own power plant. The Castle has hot and cold running water, central heat, and a central vacuum system. The stained glass roof of the foyer opens mechanically and there is a small elevator for the royal family.  Although there are fireplaces in most rooms they are for show and were not used to protect the furnishings from smoke damage.

Peles Castle Transylvania Romania
Peles Castle Transylvania Romania

The royal family went into exile in 1947 and Peles Castle was confiscated by the Communist Party. It was used for visiting dignitaries for some time. The Castle was declared a museum in 1953. At one point the Communist Party wanted to transform the Castle into a residence for the protocol. They were told the Castle had a wood fungus harmful to humans and it was closed to the public between 1975 and 1990. After the 1989 revolution, the Castle was returned to the family and then back to the state. I don’t advocate dishonesty but that wood fungus line likely saved this amazing Castle and was genius!

Pelisor Castle

Nearby Pelisor Castle (aka Little Peles) was built for King Ferdinand. Make sure you allow enough time to view both castles. The royal gossip is this Castle was actually built for his wife, Queen Mary, who didn’t care much for him, possibly had a child (or two) from other men and while she is buried next to him she had her heart buried elsewhere!

Pelisor Castle Transylvania Romania
Pelisor Castle

Visiting Peles Castle

Peles Castle is a two-hour drive or train ride from Bucharest near the town of Sinaia. You can make this a day trip or stay overnight in this popular ski resort town. Other attractions include Sinaia Monastery, Casino, gondola rides up the mountain, and hiking. Or, take a day trip from Bucharest.  It is a long day, you are on someone else’s timetable and will not make stops in the cute towns as you drive through the mountains. Please note there is an extra charge to take pictures in the Castle and you will not be allowed to use flash.

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27 Responses

  1. I also think that Peles is one of the most beautiful castles in Romania, if not the most beautiful. Although it does not have such a rich history like other Romanian castles – Bran or Corvini, for example – the luxurious and classy interiors are stunning.

  2. Holy cow! The outside of the castle doesn’t look like a place that would totally blow you away. But the inside is super intricate and grand-looking! I can see why it’s worth a visit!

  3. Wow it looks so much prettier inside than it does outside..and the outside is gorgeous to begin with! The wood fungus “white lie” is pretty funny, but overall good that they said this, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to experience a gorgeous castle like this!

  4. The only castle I have ever seen is Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World. The architecture of Peles Castle is quite fascinating. Your pictures speak for itself!

  5. haha. I love the wood fungus line. But hey, if it saved the castle that this is fine by me. It looks stunning and I love that each room has a different theme that you can explore. Always love checking out castles and this one looks like it should be at the top of my list.

  6. I love castles too! Eastern Europe is on our bucket list. Hope to make it to Romania in 2018. I would love to visit the Royal Library! Secret door and the 60 seat theater back in the days, now that’s impressive!

  7. I LOVE CASTLES TOO!!! I have never sen architecture quite like this Peles Castle look so interesting! The history is pretty interesting…are their any ummm gold coins still lying around the cornerstone??? lol I LOVE the details…you pictures are fantastic!!! Great post I must add Romania to my to go to list!!!

    1. I didn’t see any lying around but that be a fun idea for an Easter egg hunt at the castle!!!

  8. What a dream castle! I would love to see this in person. Were those stained glass ceiling panels in that one room? My goodness….80 bedrooms. I wonder how many had bedbugs? lol Nice post and sensational photos. Well done.

  9. The castle looks magical and the architecture is exquisite.Thanks for sharing with us 🙂 @ knycx.journeying

  10. Hi Sherianne,

    160 rooms? Wow….never knew castles had THAT many rooms. But then again I have not visited too many castles. I need to visit this area because I am a 1/4 Romanian. My granddad grew up in Transylvania before he moved to the US and NJ in the 50’s. He shared many fascinating stories of this intriguing country.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Ryan

  11. Interesting to note that a 19th century castle had a small elevator for the royal family. I always think of that as a modern convenience!

  12. I’m from Central Europe (Slovakia) and have been visiting castles like these since the times of elementary school trips. I’ve always found them exhausting, with too much stimulation (“ornate doesn’t even begin to describe it”). Medieval castles on the other hand…

    1. Funny you said that, I’m a minimalist and can get overwhelmed by lots of ‘stuff’ but somehow castles and palaces don’t bother me!

  13. Stunning photos of the castle architecture in Romania, its now on my list, thanks for the inspiration!

  14. Romania has such great architectural masterpieces. I love how you can always see some part of the history reflected in their beautiful buildings and castles. And that’s exactly the case here. Nice post 🙂

  15. Wow–Peles Castle is so beautiful! I love all the intricate details and the architecture. The story about the fungus is pretty great–glad that worked and likely saved the place! 🙂

  16. Such a beautiful place. Really cool they turned into a museum after all of that. They preserved it really well.

  17. Beautiful castle. It seems like 19th century is a bit late for the castle building game but it is a beautiful building none the less. I wouldn’t feel bad about a little wood fungus lie to communists. You can’t expect honesty with a gun to your head.

  18. The interior is soo beautiful! Love how every room are so different from each other. Thanks for sharing this hidden gem!

  19. I am a huge castle fan too! This castle is beautiful, I love the elaborate decor inside as well. What makes it even better is that Pelisor Castle is also nearby so you can see more than one!

  20. I can’t believe I missed out on seeing this castle when I was road tripping around Romania many moons ago. I do plan to go back here soon as I am defo putting this on the list. I love the facades, it looks so tudor (part of British history).

  21. Peles Castel looks really amazing!! I’m going to Europe in a couple months and I haven’t thought about visiting Romania, but no it’s on my bucket list! Loved all the pictures and the castle is so classy and elegant! 160 rooms wao it’s super big!
    xoxo,
    Pilar

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