Peleș Castle
Sinaia, Prahova County · Muntenia
About Peleș Castle
Peleș Castle was built at the initiative of King Carol I, Romania's first king, as his summer residence, on an estate bought in 1871–1872 outside the village of Podul Neagului, which later became Sinaia. The foundations were laid between 1873 and 1875, the foundation stone was set in August 1875 and the castle was inaugurated in October 1883. Work carried on, however, until the king's death in 1914, led by the architects Johannes Schultz and, above all, Karel Liman, who built the 66 m central tower.
The castle was remarkably modern for its time: it had central heating, electricity generated on site from 1884 and its own power station from 1897, and the glass ceiling of the Hall of Honour could be opened. The future King Carol II was born here in 1893. Nationalised in 1948, the castle became a museum in 1953, was closed to the public from 1975 to 1990 and was returned to the royal family in 2007; it is still run by the Peleș National Museum.
What you can see
The visit covers the ground floor and the first floor. You walk through the Hall of Honour, panelled in carved wood over three levels, the king's library and study, the armouries, with more than 4,000 European and oriental pieces, and the themed rooms: the Moorish Hall, the Turkish Room, the Florentine Hall and the French Room. Upstairs come the Marble Gallery, the Concert Hall, with its 1904 Rieger organ, and the Imperial Suite. Outside, the inner courtyard has painted façades, and the terraced gardens are decorated with statues and fountains.
Good to know
The castle closes for about a month every year for cleaning and conservation: in 2026, from 2 November to 1 December. There may be scaffolding on the façades, from the roof works that began in late 2024.
- The Hall of Honour, with carved panelling over three levels and a glass ceiling that could be opened.
- The Grand Armoury, with a complete suit of armour for horse and rider and weapons from the 14th to the 19th century.
- The Moorish Hall, with mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture and an indoor marble fountain.
- The first-floor Concert Hall, with its Rieger organ built in 1904.
- The inner courtyard, with half-timbered, painted façades, and the terraces with Carrara marble statues.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: take the DN1 to Sinaia (~125 km from Bucharest, ~2 hours 30 minutes in normal traffic; ~45 km from Brașov, ~1 hour), then Aleea Peleșului, past Sinaia Monastery. Car access up to the castle is restricted; leave the car in the car park on the alley.
Public transport: train on the Bucharest–Brașov line to Sinaia station (~1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours from Bucharest), then ~2 km uphill on foot through the town centre and past the monastery (~30–40 minutes), or a taxi to the car park on Aleea Peleșului.
- Where to park
The museum does not run any car parks. The closest is the public car park on Aleea Peleșului, between Sinaia Monastery and the castle (6 lei/hour, 30 lei/day); from there it is ~800 m on foot, up a sloping path through the park (10–15 minutes). Visitors with disabilities may drive up to the castle, where spaces are reserved for them.
- Fees & discounts
The ticket for the ground and first floors costs 100 lei for adults, 50 lei for seniors and 25 lei for pupils, students and European Youth Card holders. Free for children under 7, for under-18s during school holidays (subject to availability), for adults with severe disabilities and their companions, and for seniors on 1 October. Tickets are sold only online (bilete.peles.ro) or from the machines next to the castle (cash or card), for set time slots; they cannot be rescheduled or refunded, and there are no group discounts. Guiding is included at no extra charge. The nearby Pelișor Castle has a separate ticket (30 lei).
- Rules
Entry is in order of arrival, within the time slot on your ticket; you can look round on your own or join a guided tour in Romanian, which leaves from the entrance roughly every 30 minutes. Photography is allowed for personal use only, without flash, tripods or selfie sticks, and photos taken inside may not be published online. Food, drink and pets are not allowed (assistance dogs excepted). Decent dress is expected, and once you leave the castle you cannot go back in. Coats and backpacks can be left in the cloakroom.
- Facilities
Cloakroom · free audio guide on the museum's website (Romanian, English, Turkish, Ukrainian) · ticket machines at the entrance · restaurants and cafés on the estate, in the former royal buildings
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