The Three Castles

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At less than an hour on the train south towards Bucharest, Sinaia is gorgeous mountain town with some specatular hikes and even better castles. Peles, Pelisor, and Foisor Castles are the three major castles in the town and are all in a line about a 35 minute walk away from the train station. Peles and its younger sibling Pelisor, are modeled after hunting lodges rather than fortified castles like Bran or Rasnov, and were built in the early 20th century for the Romanian Royalty.  Peles Castle was a state of the art luxury residence complete with the electricity (the first in Europe to be built with it), a huge arms collection, and a retractable stained glass roof over its main foyer. Decked out in stunning wood trim from around Europe and filled with treasures of the world it is well worth the visit - and expensive entry ticket! Next door is the colourful palace of Pelisor built shortly after Peles castle. Foisor Castle is still owned by the royal family and is private thus you must have an invite for the small number of functions that are heald within the space. On the edge of the town is the Bucegi National Park, which is littered with excellent hiking routes. Follow the royal path up to the Franz Josef Rocks for an awesome overhead view of the city and down the valley.