|Sinaia - Distrito de Prahova - Región de Valaquia| Paseo por Sinaia
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 2.43 mi
- Elevation gain
- 328 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 328 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,115 ft
- TrailRank
-
70
5
- Min elevation
- 2,825 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- one hour 4 minutes
- Time
- 2 hours 38 minutes
- Coordinates
- 687
- Uploaded
- August 30, 2022
- Recorded
- August 2022
near Sinaia, Județul Prahova (România)
Viewed 775 times, downloaded 31 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Logbook. Year 2022
Tuesday, August 30
SELECTION OF PHOTOS OF THE ROUTE
Route 73: Walk through Sinaia
Recreation Google Earth
Sinaia is the city and tourist center par excellence of Romania. Located east of the Bucegi Mountains, it attracts mountain tourism for skiing and hiking. This idyllic spot was chosen by King Charles I of Romania to build his summer home, Peleș Castle. But the origin of the name of this city is due to the Sinaia Monastery; built by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino trying to make a copy of the mythical Monastery of Saint Catherine of Mount Sinai. As usual in Orthodox churches, it stands out for its impressive paintings.
Sinai Monastery
We cross a beautiful and dangerous forest where we cut through to reach the Peleș Castle viewpoint. It is dangerous because many bears that live in the mountains come looking for food that tourists throw at them or they find in containers. The risk is worth it as the views from the castle are impressive. But before arriving, we are pleasantly surprised by the spectacular buildings that housed the royal court when they spent the summer in the castle. Buildings such as the Villa Economat, the Casa de los Caballeros or the Casa de la Guardia keep a style and grandeur parallel to that of the castle. If before they were housing for the service, today they are luxury hotels and restaurants.
guard house
A few meters further we reach the gardens of Peleș Castle, they are not very spectacular in terms of size or variety of plants, perhaps because the mountain climate prevents it, but they stand out for their enormous sculptural heritage. This is the only part of the castle that can be accessed freely, but a visit to its interior is highly recommended.
garden sculptures
Peleș Castle is the second most sought after museum among tourists in Romania, after Bran Castle. An infinity of rooms stand out, such as the one at the entrance, with a mobile glass roof that could be opened to see the sky full of stars. Other halls have stage names such as Maura Hall, Florentin Hall, Column Hall, Concert Hall, or the Armory. Highlights include the royal library containing rare books with leather and gold covered covers with embossed lettering; and like a good library it had its secret door, behind a bookcase. You can also see one of the largest collections of European art paintings and weapons. It even has a music room and a theater room with a small stage with a capacity of 60 people. Undoubtedly a castle that caused envy among the European aristocracy.
Music room
Like a good father, Carol I decided that the crown princes Ferdinand and Maria would have their own castle, so he built the humble Pelișor Castle. This castle has a clear influence of Queen Mary. Inside, the Hall of Honour, the golden bedroom, or Queen Mary's office stand out. To our misfortune, the castle did not open its doors on Tuesdays, so we had to settle for the views from the outside.
Pelisor Castle
Next to the castle is the architect's house, which despite being a more modest house fits more into the natural environment in which it is located. Both castles attracted the wealthy or noble classes of Romania, who built luxurious homes around the castle and thus throughout Sinaia. Many of these villas would be converted into hotels or restaurants. But back to our starting point, a curious cross called our attention, which collected the history of the true inhabitants of these lands before the arrival of the kings and the tourist boom. There was an old chapel there, where the monks who lived in a totally hermit way in the forests of these mountains met. Curiously, they only met to pray in common, returning to the path of solitude in the woods. Luckily, there was a bar in front of the stone cross, so we decided to rest and drink a cold beer in company. It has been a spectacular ride, we are loving Romania... Until next time
Peles Castle
Other of our routes through thePrahova District :
Walk through Sinaia
Technical information
IBQ: 22 - Very Easy Details . (Depending on how you consider your physical preparation, it will give you the degree of difficulty of the route. In our case, medium preparation)
Type of terrain: The entire route follows paved roads, so it is advisable to wear comfortable shoes.
State of conservation: All roads and streets are in a good state of conservation.
GPS: It is an unofficial route and the city of Sinaia is very large, so we have made this walk with a few kilometers, since it has three places to stop, such as the Monastery and the two Castles. We did other walks but they have not been registered, but of course, they are very worth it.
Best season: We did it in summer, and being in the mountains, the weather can be decisive, either because of the heavy rains or the copious snowfalls that can make the walk complicated.
Heritage: Not cataloged on this route.
Highlights: Peleș Castle.
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Waypoints
Wilderness hut
2,828 ft
Vila Silva
Former residence hotel located next to the Sinaia Monastery. Today it is in a state of abandonment with parts of its structure damaged. Recently there is a project for the construction of a new hotel that affects the sports fields located right at the entrance to the courtyard of the Sinaia monastery.
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Religious site
2,853 ft
Monasterio de Sinaia
The Sinaia monastery was founded by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino in 1695 and was named after the great monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, Egypt. In 2005 it was inhabited by thirteen Orthodox monks belonging to the Archdiocese of Bucharest. The monastery consists of two courtyards surrounded by two buildings. In the center of each courtyard is a small Byzantine-style church. One of them, Biserica Veche (old church), dates from 1695; while the other, Biserica Mare (great church) was built in 1846. The monks have a library where they keep valuable jewels of the Cantacuzino family, as well as the first translations of the Bible into Romanian from 1668. Take Ionescu, former Prime Minister of Romania, is buried here. Prince Mihail Cantacuzino founded the monastery after his return from a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. The first buildings date from between 1690 and 1965. It was designed to serve as a monastery as well as a fortress on the way between Braşov and Bucharest. The initial plan was to house twelve monks, recalling the Twelve Apostles, but they were increased. In the midst of the Russo-Turkish War (1735-1739), before leaving the monastery, the monks hid the most valuable objects in a bell. During the battle, the Turks defeated the troops that were in the monastery. The Ottomans opened the wall and burned the place. Until 1850, Sinaia housed the monastery and a group of cabins. However, in 1864, a hospital and some baths were opened, which helped develop the Sinaia hot spring complexes.
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Provisioning
2,861 ft
Casa cu Farfurii
It is the former House of Engineer Constantin D. Bușilă or the Sinaia Plaque House. Built between 1928 and 1930, in a combination of styles, neo-Romanian and modern, the latter style that characterizes the last stage of the life of the architect Duiliu Marcu, it is also known as the house of plates for its multicolored ceramics. Plates decorate the belt from the base of the roof or from the stone base of wooden balconies. The belt is made of stone pieces framed by wooden beams. In the construction of this house rough stone and minimal elements of carved stone were used in the beams, frames and cornices. These elements framed the house in the natural environment, perfectly combining with the wood of the decorative structures of the balconies (arches, supporting pillars, frame frames), balconies borrowing elements from the neo-Romanian architectural style. Constantin D. Bușilă held the position of Minister of Public Works and Communications between July 1941 and October 1943. As an engineer, he was noted for his special contributions to the development of the energy industry, such as the modernization of power plants in Ploiești, Florești , Câmpina and Slănic Prahova, plants that supplied electricity to refineries and oil fields.
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Door
2,931 ft
Callejón Carmen Sylva
The “Carmen Sylva” Alley (“Aleea Carmen Sylva” in the Romanian language) is a wooded path located in the heart of Transylvania that connects the city center of Sinaia with the famous Peleş Castle. With more than five hundred meters in length, it is an excellent walk in the open air in the famous mountains of Romania that culminates with one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe. The name of the alley carries the same mystery as everything related to Transylvania: "Carmen Sylva" is nothing more than the pseudonym that Queen Elizabeth of Wied used during her reign to publish novels without being linked to the Royal House of Romania. . As queen, she was one of the first women to fight for women's rights, and her modern ideas were a real rarity in those days. Elisabeth was good friends with the famous Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, who is known worldwide as "Empress Sisi". Although the path of the alley is not too long, the incline makes it a bit heavy. However, if you don't go up by car or other means of transport, this is the most direct way to Peleş Castle.
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River
2,950 ft
Valea Pelesului
Valea Pelesului is a small river that rises in the Coltii Pietrei mountain at almost 2000 m and descends in an easterly direction, through the lands of Peles Castle to flow into the Râul Prahova.
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Fountain
2,957 ft
Fuente de la Aldea Pelesului
Small fountain located on the outskirts of Pelesului village. It consists of a rectangular stone with columns at the ends and a niche in the center from which a pipe emerges that pours water into a semicircular basin.
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Panorama
2,950 ft
Mirador del Castillo Peleș
Viewpoint located on the entrance road to the Peleșului Village from where you can get a beautiful view of the southern facade of the Peleș Castle.
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World Heritage Site
2,961 ft
Central eléctrica de Peleș
Small power plant located on a small river in the surroundings of Peleș Castle. It supplied electricity to what was the first castle in Europe to have electricity thanks to this small hydroelectric plant that even operated an elevator.
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Wilderness hut
3,004 ft
Resedinta Corpului de Gardá
The hotel was the former Guards Corps building, which was built at the same time as the castle, between 1908 and 1909, in the German Renaissance style. Some of the king's staff lived here when they came to Sinaia, and it also housed the telephone switchboard from 1890. It is not known what capacity the royal court had when it came to Sinaia, but it is believed that it was around 100 people.
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Wilderness hut
3,021 ft
Vila Economat
Also called the House of the Treasurer, today it is one more hotel establishment in this region of Transylvania. Parallel to the construction of the Peles Castle, the Knights' House, the Treasurer's House, the Guard's House, the Architects' House, the Garden House were built in the area. In this building, it housed not only the royal court when the kings came, but also all the administration necessary to provide service and food to this increase in population.
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Castle
3,002 ft
Castillo Peleș
Peleș Castle is a palace built between 1873 and 1914 by the architect Karel Liman at the time of King Charles I of Romania and became one of the most important monuments in Europe in the 19th century. Thanks to its own power plant, Peleș was the first castle in Europe to have electricity and an elevator. It was expropriated by the communists in 1948. Today it is one of the most visited monuments in the country. The castle was commissioned by King Charles I of Romania, with plans by architects Johannes Schultz, Carol Benesch, and Karel Liman, and decorated by JD Heymann of Hamburg, August Bembé of Mainz, and Bernhard Ludwig of Vienna. 300 men were needed to prepare the land where the construction was to take place. In 1875 the castle walls began to be raised. Around 1900 the house already had its ground floor, with a first floor and its main tower. In its final construction, the castle had an area of 3,200 m², made up of 160 rooms and more than 30 bathrooms. The main tower is 66 meters high, next to the great castle there are two more buildings, which are smaller in size. After the abdication of King Michael I of Romania in 1947, Peleș Castle entered the tourist circuit, while the other palaces continued to be used by men. In the last years of communism the castle in its complex was closed. It is currently used as a museum. This castle stands out for being one of the buildings with its own electricity, the building even had an elevator and since 1888 it has had heating. The entrance hall is the largest, built with walnut panelling, sprinkled with reliefs and sculptures. The moving glass roof, activated by an electric motor, was an element of surprise for the king, so he could admire the blue sky on summer nights. Tourist rooms have stage names: such as Maura Hall, Florentin's Hall, Column Hall, Concert Hall, and Armory. The palace contains a royal library that especially attracts fans of rare books with covers covered in leather and gold with embossed letters. Even for those less familiar with the world of books, there is an attraction: the secret door, behind a bookcase was that door that the king used to take refuge in different rooms of the castle. In one of the rooms there is one of the largest collections of European art paintings and weapons with more than 4,000 European and Eastern pieces from the 14th-17th centuries. The music room was converted into a hall for Queen Elizabeth's musical evenings. The Florentine room, also called the Great Hall, impresses as it is made of lime wood carving, gilt ceiling, two large chandeliers and Italian neo-Renaissance style decoration. Peleș contains a theater hall with a small stage with a capacity of 60 people. The castle had very modern facilities for the time it was built. For example, the glass roof of the hall of honor is mobile and can be powered by an electric motor. Maura's salon contains Moorish Spanish elements and a Carrara marble fountain, a copy from Cairo. On the first floor is the concert hall, designed in 1906, in which you can find a clavichord from 1621, a grand piano and an organ stand with two keyboards. The castle has seven terraces decorated with stone statues, fountains, Carrara marble, and decorative flower pots.
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Flora
3,008 ft
Jardines del Castillo Peleș
The gardens are the first space we find when we arrive at this beautiful castle. Beware of the bears, in the surroundings of the castle they usually approach the castle in search of food that tourists leave for them or that they find in the garbage containers. This part of the castle is the only one that is free, and therefore it is also the busiest in high season. In this garden area that is in front of the main facade there are several fountains and statues, among them those of the kings, along with others of neoclassical style, such as the Statue of the Dying Gaul, the Statue of Ariadne or the Fountain of Neptune.
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Monument
3,007 ft
Estatua Carol I
Carlos I of Romania, in Romanian Carol I; was born in Sigmaringen in 1839 and died in Bucharest in 1914. He was a German prince, elected Domnitor or Prince of Romania in April 1866 after the overthrow of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and king on March 26, 1881. He was the first king of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, who would rule the country until his death in 1914. During his reign he personally led the Romanian troops in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, taking command of the Russo-Romanian troops at the siege of Pleven. Thanks to this war, Romania achieved full autonomy from the Ottoman Empire with the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. Romania was then forced to give up the three southern districts of Bessarabia in favor of the Russian Empire, but instead received northern Dobruja. It expanded its territory by acquiring southern Dobruja from Bulgaria in 1913. Internal political life, still dominated by the large land-owning families, organized in the rival Liberal and Conservative parties, was marked by two peasant uprisings: one in southern Wallachia, in April 1888, and another in northern Moldavia, in March 1907. He married Isabel de Wied in 1869, from whom he had a daughter, Princess María, who died when she was just three years old. The lack of direct descendants of Carlos left his brother Leopoldo successor to the throne. In October 1880 Leopold renounced his right in favor of his son William, who in turn resigned eight years later in favor of his younger brother, the future King Ferdinand.
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Monument
3,022 ft
Estatua Reina Elisabeta
Isabel de Wied, in German Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise von Wied, was born in Monrepos Castle, near Neuwied, in 1843 and died in Bucharest in 1916. She was queen consort of Romania by her marriage to King Charles I, as well as a famous novelist under the pseudonym Carmen Sylva. At sixteen, Elizabeth was considered as a possible bride for the heir to the British throne, the future King Edward VII. They showed him photographs of Isabel, but he declared himself impassive and refused to look at them again. In 1861, during a stay in Berlin, the young princess met her future husband, Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, they would marry on November 15, 1869 in Neuwied. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, also known as the Romanian War of Independence, Elisabeth devoted herself to caring for the wounded and founded the Order of Elisabeth, intended to honor individuals who distinguish themselves in such service. She was considered an extravagant queen for her theatrics, and was the only aristocratic friend of the famous Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Sissi. Queen Elizabeth was a pioneer in defending women's rights in the 19th century. She founded the National Society for the Blind and was the first royal patron of the Romanian Red Cross.
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Wilderness hut
3,050 ft
Casa Cavalerilor
Built in 1896, to house foreign deputies, officers and their assistants; the House of the Knights is located in the private alley of the Castle, between the Peleș and Pelișor castles. Architecturally it is a successful combination of Swiss style (exterior) and German Renaissance (interior). The building then underwent modifications that altered the original stylistic elements. You can only admire this house from the outside as it is not open to the public.
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Castle
3,056 ft
Castillo de Pelișor
Built between 1899 and 1902 by the Czech architect Karel Liman and decorated by the Viennese artist Bernhard Ludwig. Pelișor Castle was designed as a residence for Prince Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of King Charles, and his wife, Princess Maria. Grandson of King Carol, Ferdinand will become the next King of Romania. The furnishings and interior decoration, largely by Bernhard Ludwig, are typical of a residential space (lobby, offices, chapel, "golden room"), a tribute to the innovations of early 20th-century art movements. Pelișor Castle has only 99 rooms, compared to Peles Castle which has 160 rooms. The entire house was decorated to be a princely residence and bears the imprint of a strong personality: that of Queen Mary. The hall of honor is paneled with oak. The gilded bedroom is decorated to the queen's plans and drawings with carved gilt basswood furniture. Her office was also decorated to the queen's wishes, and the walls of the Golden Chamber are decorated with thistle leaves, a motif much appreciated by the queen as it was the emblem of Scotland, her birthplace. Their children also grew up here: Carlos (the future King Carlos II), Mărioara (Queen of Yugoslavia), Elisabeta (Queen of Greece) and Nicolae. King Ferdinand and Queen Maria continued to live in Pelișor even after the Coronation. The castle seemed too big and overwhelming to them. Queen Mary wrote in her memoirs: "We prefer to keep our customs in our smaller and happier house." King Ferdinand and Queen Maria raised their six children here: Prince Carol (the future Carol II of Romania), Princess Elisabeta (the future queen of Greece), Princess Maria (the future queen of Yugoslavia), Prince Nicolae, Princess Ileana (Archduchess of Habsburg) and Prince Mircea. During the communist regime, Pelișor suffered the same fate as the rest of the royal estates in Sinaia: it was reserved as a protocol residence, closed to the public until the 1990s, when it was reopened as a museum. In 2006, it was returned to King Mihai, in whose ownership it remains to this day.
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Wilderness hut
3,039 ft
Casa Arhitectului
The villa was designed in 1900 by Karel Liman, the main architect of the Royal Family at the time, for the work offices of the team working on the great royal construction works in Sinaia. Liman lived here until his death in 1929. Villa Șipot was part of the destiny of the Czech architect who, arriving in the Romanian Principalities to participate in the establishment of the Royal Domain, stayed to live in his "adopted" country as Head of the Royal Office of Architecture. The building has a ground floor in the German Renaissance style, a first floor and an attic, and the interior is divided into 8 rooms.
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Wilderness hut
3,115 ft
Vila Mures
Villa Mures is located in the immediate vicinity of Peles Castle, at the foot of Mount Furnica. It has rooms especially dedicated to hiking, as it is located a few meters from the chairlift that leads to the mountain.
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Wilderness hut
3,084 ft
Hotel Restaurante Fúrnica
Furnica is an imposing building, further proof that even the annexes of the Royal Domain were built in the same monumental spirit, taking care of the unity of style, location and the quality of the materials used. Originally they were the "new stables", intended for housing for the staff (40 rooms), a laundry room and stables for 24 horses. A beautiful architectural complex designed by Karel Liman and inaugurated in 1912. It worked for many years, like Economat, as a hotel and restaurant, but the lack of investment and proper maintenance caused it to close. Currently, the Hotel Furnica is in conservation, waiting for a remodeling project that will reintegrate it into the tourist and cultural circuit.
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Monument
2,998 ft
Crucea Molomot
The cross is a memory made by the humble Victor Mimonahu of the Sinaia Monastery, which intends to honor the existence of a small chapel called San Nicolás or Molomot, built on Mount Molomot, built by the Chiliarch monks and then rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century. by a certain Nicolae Grozea nicknamed the outlaw. The way of life of the monks of the Sfântul Nicolae or Molomoț hermitage was completely eremitic: for six days they lived scattered in the wild valleys of the mountains and only on Saturday night they gathered in the hermitage, for common prayer and to spend the weekend in common until Monday morning, when, again, each took the "desert road" alone in the woods.
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Wilderness hut
2,924 ft
Vila Ileana
It is an old villa that is about 120 years old, which, like other old houses, offers accommodation to tourists and hikers who want to climb the Sinaia mountains.
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Un paseo digno de reyes. Gracias por compartirla 😘
Gracias por tu comentario y valoración Ne.no. Además hay muchas más zonas por donde pasear 😍