25 curiosities about Peleș Castle
The most beautiful building in Romania is Peleș Castle. It is a castle built in the 19th century, in one of the most picturesque regions of Romania. Here are some of the curiosities related to this castle, which we invite you to explore with the help of the report below: The Throne of Romania is located in the Peleș Castle. The castle was built to serve as the residence of the Romanian Dynasty by its founder, King Carol I.
The castle is located in the heart of the territories inhabited by Romanians. The idea was even stated by King Carol I, when one of his ministers expressed his bewilderment about the fact that the Throne of Romania was located so close to the border between Romania and Austria-Hungary at the time. The castle and the purchase of the Sinaia Royal Domain have were financed from the personal funds of King Charles I, who sold an estate in Germany to obtain the necessary money.
King Carol I bought 1,000 stakes in Prahova Valley from the locals.
At the time when King Carol I discovered the beauty of the area, the locality was just a picturesque mountain village, called Podul Neagului. The construction of the Peleș Castle began in 1873 and ended only in 1914.
The castle was built by the efforts of a team of hundreds of workers, coordinated by the architects Johannes Schultz, Karl Benesch and Karel Liman.
Peleș Castle was inaugurated in 1883.
The central tower of the castle is 66 meters high. In 1896, Peleș Castle hosted the visit of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Jozef. Back then, Austria-Hungary was one of the most important allies of Romania, whose main enemy was Russia.
Several Crown Councils of historical importance were organized at Peleș Castle. There are two smaller castles on the Peleș Royal Domain: Pelișor and Foișor.
In the Peleș Castle, there is a theater hall with 60 seats, plus the royal lodge.
The glass ceiling covering the hall of honor is movable and can be moved with the help of an electric motor. The Peleș Castle was among the first royal buildings in the world with electric lighting and central heating. The Peleș Royal Domain had its own electrical plant.
Two Kings of Romania were born in Peleș: Carol II, in 1893, and Mihai I, in 1921.
King Ferdinand I the Loyal died in Peleș in 1927.
The Royal Library in Peles Castle has a secret door, hidden by a bookshelf. Through this door, the king could take refuge in the guard room in case of danger. In the Armoury, there is the only complete armor for horse and rider in Romania.
In the Concert Hall are extremely valuable instruments, including a harpsichord made in Antwerp in 1621.
The stained glass windows of Peleș Castle were made in the 15th-17th centuries in Germany and Switzerland, where they were bought by the Royal Family of Romania. The castle has 7 terraces, decorated with stone statues, fountains and ornamental vessels carved in Carrara marble.
The castle could be visited by Romanians since the time of King Carol I.
Sometimes, Queen Elizabeth of Romania invited Orient Express travelers to stop in Sinaia and visit the castle.
The castle was confiscated by the communists in 1948. It was returned to King Michael I in 2006. The Romanian state only returned the castle and the land, but not the furniture, art objects or carpets
