Things to do in  Sinaia

Built between 1873 and 1883, the neo-Renaissance Peles Castle (Castelul Peleș) was a summer getaway for Romanian royals. With 170 lavishly decorated rooms, the castle was equipped with the most modern conveniences of the time—electricity, elevators, and central heating.

The art nouveau-style Pelisor Castle was built at the turn of the 20th century to serve as a summer residence for King Carol I’s nephew and heir, Ferdinand I. Though more modest than Peles Castle, Pelisor does feature touches of opulence such as the gilded thistle-leaf walls of the Golden Room, a nod to Queen Marie’s Scottish heritage.

Built by the son of Vlad the Impaler at the base of a sheer cliff face, the simple white exterior of the 16th-century Ialomicioara Monastery and Cave belies an elaborate interior—inside, you’ll find frescoes and icons. Head past the mouth of the cave this monastery guards, and you’ll discover stalactite-smothered grottoes and a cave where hundreds of bear bones were discovered.

Peaceful and uncrowded, this small active monastery is the antithesis of neighboring Peles Castle, which is usually thronged with visitors. Monks have been living here since the 17th century and the site features two churches—one dating back to 1695 and the other to 1846—with frescos and floral carvings, as well as a small museum.