Sidetrip to Sinaia

Words by Dalene Heck / Photography by Pete Heck

It is sometimes tough for us to explain the method of our travel, especially when it comes to how sluggishly we move through a country. Other tourists and locals alike all seem quite perplexed when we said we were staying in a small city like Brasov for more than a week. And I do understand their confusion considering that all the touristy things in the area can be done in a mere few days.

But given the fact that we need to work as we move, and that we really like to get to know locations a little deeper, a few days of activities means at least a week of residence. If we want to explore the surrounding area, add a few more. And then it still puts us in the position of sometimes having to make tough choices between sights. We are not the hop on/hop off people just to fit everything in, we prefer to be much more deliberate when we can.

So when it came to a day trip from Brasov, we had to make a choice. There was the nearby castle of Bran (with misleading ties to the Dracula story), the fortress at Rasnov, and the resort town of Sinaia, home to Peles Castle. All have their merits and so it wasn’t an easy choice to make, but conversations with others upon whose opinions we trust finally led us to a decision.

We waited for a day where we could trust the spring weather to cooperate (mostly), and off to Sinaia we went.

When it came to a day trip from Brasov, we had to make a choice.
Caraiman Hotel - Sinaia

The Caraiman Hotel in Sinaia. It functioned as a hospital in both World Wars and anchors the beautiful Central Park.

It’s not far from Brasov, but trains move pretty slow in Romania. The bluebird skies became laced with increasingly dense cloud as we crawled a bit higher up the Bucegi mountains. The day would turn such that we walked in some bits of rain as we strolled through the town.

From the train station it is a hike uphill on windy streets to get to Peles Castle. Tour buses swooped around us and we passed few locals on our ascent, but did spot several men dressed in robes as they made their way into the Monastery we passed. That stop, we would make later.

The Promenade to Peles

Ancient mossy walls line the walk to the castle.

Peles Dreams
Peles Castle

Peles was, in fact, only built to be a summer home.

King Carol I fell in love with the mountain scenery during his early reign and began construction in 1875, touching on many classic European styles by design. And it was a true cross-continental effort. From the journal of his Queen Elisabeth:

“Italians were masons, Romanians were building terraces, the Gypsies were coolies. Albanians and Greeks worked in stone, Germans and Hungarians were carpenters. Turks were burning brick. Engineers were Polish and the stone carvers were Czech. The Frenchmen were drawing, the Englishmen were measuring, and so was then when you could see hundreds of national costumes and fourteen languages in which they spoke, sang, cursed and quarreled in all dialects and tones, a joyful mix of men, horses, cart oxen and domestic buffaloes.”

The result: a dreamy courtyard best imagined being enjoyed in full regal wear under the fragrance of wildflowers and chill of morning dew. The interior is dense with rich and intricately carved wood, complete with hidden passages, foreign thematic rooms, and a captivating ancient weapons collection from around the globe.

(The latter of which we can’t share with you as the interior is under strict copyright. Trust us when we say that seeing the inside is definitely worth the tour, if you can manage to tear yourself away from the gardens and stately courtyard.)

Peles Castle Statue Up Close
Peles Panoramic View
Peles Statues

Growling stomachs finally drove us from lingering in the finely manicured gardens and back towards town. More tour buses whizzed past us on there way back to Bucharest or Brasov or the next castle in the next town, as we paused for a stop at the Monastery which gave the town of Sinaia its name.

Locals and tourists alike made their way in and out of the gates. Founded in 1695, this Christian Orthodox Monastery is still in use and houses a dozen monks.

Sinaia Monestary

Before we returned on the next slow train, we dawdled in a cafe, discovered the quaint but gorgeous Central Park, and lamented that the weather deterred us from exploring the many hiking trails around us. We came to understand why this is a popular resort town for locals, but curiously only a quick stop for most foreign tourists.

I can’t say we made the exact right choice for our day trip in the face of the others without seeing them personally – trips to Bran and Rasnov may be equally or more worthy of a visit – but we know we made a good choice.

How to do it

There are many options to get to Sinaia by train or bus from Bucharest or Brasov. Being a small town it is possible to see all the sights in a day trip, but we wished we had a little more time (and better weather) to do some hiking as well.

Still curious about Bran Castle or Rasnov? Here are some posts by others to help you make your own decision.

Castle Dracula (also talks about other castles in the area, including Peles)

Rasnov, a great day trip from Brasov

24 Comments... Read them below or add one of your own
  • July 24 2014

    Thanks for including my post. It IS a tough choice for sure, but if you have to choose between Sinaia and Rasnov, I think I’d do the same as you. Peles alone is worth it.

    • August 7 2014

      Glad you said so! And we have to save sometime for a hopeful extended stay next time. πŸ™‚

  • July 24 2014

    Thanks so much for including my post πŸ™‚

  • Marie @ a Montrealer Abroad
    July 24 2014

    These are especially gorgeous photos, guys! Looks like a beautiful town.

    • August 7 2014

      Thanks so much! Can’t go wrong with a quaint town in the mountains.

  • Hauntingly beautiful, I think the weather definitely added to the spooky mood of the place.

  • July 27 2014

    Amazing photos. Looks like we need to go there one day too. Great travel inspiration.

  • July 28 2014

    We spent a few nights on our 2005 Christmas trip to Romania in Brasov, buried deep in the snow, and I LOVED it there. I would have totally stayed longer if we’d had the time! Thanks for letting me see what it looks like in the summertime πŸ˜‰

    • August 7 2014

      And we’ve been talking about how much we want to go and see it in the winter!

  • July 28 2014

    Such great photos of a beautiful place. Romania is a country that hasn’t really been on our radar. But seeing how much you’ve loved it, I think we need to re-think that.
    Laura recently posted..Regain Your Senses at Tintswalo Atlantic Cape Town

  • July 28 2014

    very wise choice! I’ve been to all of them and Sinaia was definitely the best possible day trip from Brasov (I kind of liked Rasnov too but Sinaia still won). And, as always, excellent pictures, they capture the place to perfectly!
    kami recently posted..Sunday with Pictures: Colours of Ostrava

    • August 7 2014

      Glad you said so! Looks like we made a good choice.

  • July 28 2014

    Love the black & white photos. Makes Brasov look even more romantic & mysterious!
    Angie Away recently posted..Planning an #Unminivan Road Trip from Denver to Seattle

  • July 28 2014

    I’m with you, small towns are where it’s at – you discover so much more and don’t feel pressured to go see all the sights.
    Ayngelina recently posted..New Site Design!

  • July 28 2014

    I remember treking to the top of some nearby hill from where you could see all of Sinaia, there was a cable car too I think? Did you go there?
    Federico recently posted..What Should You Do if You Lose Your Passport?

    • August 7 2014

      We actually didn’t. We wanted to, but the weather was turning and we weren’t adequately prepared. πŸ™

  • July 28 2014

    “It is sometimes tough for us to explain the method of our travel, especially when it comes to how sluggishly we move through a country.”

    I have this issue ALL THE TIME. Even hostel staff are sometimes confused by how long my stays are in cities/towns where most people stop off for a night. Looks like this was well worth the lengthy stay πŸ™‚

  • Diana Edelman
    July 30 2014

    I fell in love with Brasov when I was there four years ago. I took a day trip with the hostel I was staying at — Kismet Dao — and went to both Peles and Bran. I thought Peles was absolutely remarkable and, to this day, still stands out as one of the most beautiful properties I have seen in the world. Bran’s Castle was quite disappointing. And, yes, you are right; the interior of Peles is SO WORTH IT.

    • August 7 2014

      It was surprising, really! So much dark wood which made it feel very gloomy in a way, but oh so beautiful.

  • August 1 2014

    I hear Europe calling us…
    Mindy & Ligeia recently posted..Vege Creek – Vegan Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan

  • August 5 2014

    Wow, beautiful photos. We have a friend in Romania, we look forward to visiting one day.

  • August 6 2014

    Love the photos. You make me want to explore Romania so much now. It’s been on my list for a very long time!

  • Your trip sounds lovely! I love how the black and white pictures make you feel like you’re seeing it all in the past and have come across a hidden gem, which you did!
    Mary @ Green Global Travel recently posted..Blogging, the Green Travel Industry & The Future of GGT

  • August 10 2014

    I, too, enjoyed your black and white photos of Sinaia.
    Nancy D. Brown recently posted..5 Best Places to See Wild Horses

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