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Castles and palaces

Baroque, renaissance and gothic, art Nouveau, rococo and Brancovan - the architectural styles of romanian castles and palaces blend in a superb diversity. A mixture of images and legends, these castles tell the story of the 12-20th centuries and remind us that Romania has always been the place where the innovation and pragmatism typical of the West met the traditionalism and the sumptuous brilliance of the East.

Peles Castle has been, from the turn of the 19th century, the main point of attraction of Sinaia resort (120 km away from Bucharest). The edifice was built in 1873, on the order of Carol de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen - King of Romania from 1866 - and is an architectural mixture of the German School and neo-renaissance style. The castle has 160 rooms, all of them opulently decorated in leather and wood from the most valuable tree species. The Armour Hall, Reception Hall, Concert hall and, of course, the Royal Chamber are famous. Peles also served as the retreat residence of most of Romania's monarchs - Carol I, who died here in 1914, King Ferdinand and Queen Maria.

Bran Castle owes its fame both to its unique charm and to the myth Bram Stoker created around Dracula. Documentary evidence of the castle dates back as far as 1377. A true fortress located in Bran village, approx. 25 km away from Brasov, all its walls are made of stone and the rooms and narrow corridors form a labyrinth of hidden corners and secret chambers. In 1920, Queen Mary, the niece of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, turned the castle into a beautiful summer residence. The legend goes that the heart of Queen Mary, kept in a silver box, was discovered in a niche of the building...

Interested in booking a one day trip from Bucharest to Peles Castle & Bran (Dracula's) Castle? Click here for more details.

Corvinesti Castle near Hunedoara won its place among the famous monuments of medieval art in South-eastern Europe a long time ago. Built in the 13th century, on the edge of a rock, the castle's past is especially associated with the Corvinesti family who owned it for a long time. Iancu de Hunedoara - a character famous for his battles with the Ottomans - who later on became prince of Transylvania and regent prince of Hungary - restored the fortress (1446-1453), and transformed it into a palace. In addition to the 50 chambers, most of which are decorated with murals, the impregnable dungeon and the wide galleries with wooden and stone ornaments are some of the attractions of this castle.

Brukenthal Palace in Sibiu was built at the end of 18th century at the order of baron Sammuel Brukenthal, governor of Transylvania, Maecenas of letters and arts at that time. Today, the baroque edifice reigning over the west side of the Grand Square in Sibiu, houses the works of some famous artists, such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Frans Snyder and Geordaens, a valuable silverware collection bearing the signature of a great maestro of the 16th century, Sebastian Hann, religious objects and photos of the ancient Sibiu.

Curtea Veche in Bucharest. Near Dambovita, the river flowing through the heart of Bucharest, are the vestiges of the court built during the rule of Vlad Dracula Tepes (15th century), the ruler of Walahia. In the 16th century the palace became the official residence of the Wallahian rulers. Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714) and Stefan Cantacuzino (1714-1715) ennobled the building by adding stone columns, marble stairs and valuable ornaments. Today, the only things that still remind us of the splendour of those ancient times are the vestiges descovered in 1958.

Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest has its origins in 1888, when the heir prince Ferdinand started its building. Mixing the french ecclesiastic style with neo-classical, the palace reveals its sumptuousness even from the entrance which opens through a monumental set of stairs. The living room in the neo-renaissance style and the king's library, designed after the style of Henry II, the queen's bedroom, restored with a Tudor design and the little Norvegian saloon impress by sumptuousness and good taste.

The Royal Palace in Bucharest. This five-floor palace, located on Calea Victoriei, is surrounded by historical buildings such as Kretzulescu Church, the Romanian Athenaeum, University Central Library, and Athenee Palace-Hilton Hotel. Built between 1927 and 1937 after the plans of the romanian architect D. Niculescu, the edifice bears the mark of the neo-classical style. In 1948, after the abolition of the monarchy, the palace became the seat of The National Art Museum.

The Parliament Palace in Bucharest, the second largest buildind in the world after The Pentagon, was built between 1984 and 1989 at the order of the former president Nicolae Ceausescu. Its building required a demolition of a quarter of the historical centre of Bucharest and gave rise to numerous protests on an international scale. At present, The Parliament Palace is the largest administrative building in Europe, with an interior area of 265000 sqm. The area of each hall is between 300 and 500 sqm.

Interested in booking a one day sightseeing tour of Bucharest? Click here for more details.

Romania at a glance

Attractions

Corvinesti Castle

Castelul Bran

Bran (Dracula's) Castle