The Peles Castle from Sinaia
The Peles Castle from Sinaia was built between 1873 and 1914 by Carol the 1st of Romania, using the plans of the architects Johannes Schultz and Karel Liman. D. Heymann, August Bembé and Berhard Ludwig also contributed on decorating the castle. It was the summer residence for the royal family and it is considered the most important historical edifice from Romania, which, because of its historic and artistic value is also one of the most important monuments of this kind in Europe.
The edifice has 160 rooms and many entrances and interior scales, a theatre hall. The castle has the most modern innovations of the age when it was built, for example the glass deck of the honor hall is mobile, being moved by an electrical engine; it also has been having central heating since 1883 and it was the first castle to use electricity in Europe.
The most important halls to visit are: The Honor Hall, The Royal Library, The Weapon Halls, The Music Hall, The Florentine Hall, The Mauro Hall, The Theatre Hall, The Concerts Hall, situated in the first floor and the Imperial Apartment.
On the castle there were held important political meetings, such as the Crown Concils from 1914, having as result the neutrality of Romania in the First World War.
Peles is the place where Carol the 2nd was born in 1893, the first king of the dynasty born in Romania and the first to be baptized as an orthodox, also being the place where in 1921 the wedding of princess Ileana took place.
The Peles Castle had been property of the royal family until 1948, when it was taken by the Communist Party, following that in 1953 to be transformed into a Museum.
In 2006 it was given back to the king Mihai the 1st, but he decided to keep it as a Museum.
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