Sinaia is considered, with good reason, the pearl of the Carpathians and, as such, deserves the right attention. An obligatory stop on a tour in Transylvania, the city is located along the spectacular and evocative stretch of the Prahova valley; that is, one of the most beautiful of all the Carpathians, east of the Bucegi Mountains, following the course of the river of the same name between mountains and pine forests.

The Monastery, Peles , Pelisor Castelul and the Casino, or the places of greatest interest, are all concentrated in an area of just 2 km. The casino itself is located near the railway station. All this makes it particularly easy to visit Sinaia, even for those who do not want to arrive by car.

Photo ©, Aleksander Dragnes

VISIT SINAIA

We recommend starting from the splendid Monastery of Sinaia, a 17th century building in the Brancovenesti style. Built by the will of the Romanian nobleman Mihail Cantacuzino after a pilgrimage to Egypt on Mount Sinai; hence, the name of the building and, later, of the city, built right around the Monastery. Located along the road of the same name, on the road that leads to the Castles, the Orthodox Church consists of two large structures; the original building dating from the seventeenth century, and the modern one from the nineteenth century. The complex houses the Muzeul Manastirii Sinaia, a History Museum. The latter houses a collection of icons of saints and a copy of the first Bible printed in Romania.

Open in summer, every day from 08:00 to 18:00. In winter, museum and church open on request only, from 10:00 to 15:00 for groups of at least 10 people.
The entrance ticket costs 5.00LEI and entitles you to access the entire structure. More info can be found on the official website only in Romanian language.

Photo ©, Rotaru Florin

Not far from here, the Parcul Dimitrie Ghica , a park built to a design by the Swiss architect Eder in 1881, where the splendid Cazinoul Sinaia stands. The Casino is a splendid building from the early 1900s, built on the initiative of King Charles I of Romania. The Baron of Marçay was the main shareholder (the same, moreover, of the Monte Carlo Casino): until the 1940s, it became one of the main attractions of the area, before gambling was banned; the Casino, since then, has been a Congress and Conference Center.
Inside there is a beautiful art gallery that can be visited together with all the splendid rooms.
The entrance ticket costs 20LEI per adult for the tour with the guide; special family packages are available for 40 LEI (2 adults and 1 child up to 15 years) and 50 LEI (2 adults and 2 children). Under 7s do not pay. The ticket to visit the art gallery without a guide costs 10LEI per adult and 5LEI reduced.
The facility is open every day from 10am to 6pm. For more info you can consult the official site from here. The Casino, as mentioned, stands on the splendid Ghica Park : we recommend taking a walk through these splendid gardens, to relax.

Bulevardul Carol I, in honor of the Sovereign, is the central avenue that starts from the aforementioned Park. Here, you can find some restaurants, Irish Pubs, cafes and the “Carpati” Shopping Center, perhaps, for a quick lunch.

VISIT SINAIA: THE CASTLES

The second part of the itinerary concerns the two main castles in the area. The first is Castelul Peles , certainly, the main attraction of the Prahova Valley. Built between 1875 and 1914 in German Neo-Renaissance architecture, following the style of the Castles of Bavaria, it is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. And it is absolutely true. The whole structure, including the gardens, the rooms and the location is truly WONDERFUL.

The Castle was built at the behest of King Charles I, who made it his summer residence, after falling in love with this area. The interiors and rooms are sumptuous, finely decorated and embellished with Murano glass chandeliers, embroidery, and frescoes. The Hall of Honor is splendid, spread over three floors, with beautiful tapestries, bas-reliefs, sculptures and walls covered in finely carved wood; in the Great Armory there are about 4000 pieces of weapons and armor: swords, axes, sabers, firearms… The Library Royal , contains rare handwritten books with gold letters and bound in leather! In the castle there is also a small Louis XVI style theater with a Royal box, 60 seats and remarkable murals signed by Gustav Klimt. Also noteworthy is the glass ceiling, with electric opening.