The Immortal Beauty of Romania
If you are a fan of Sebastian Stan “The Winter Soldier”, you should put Romania, his home country, in your bucket list.
It was December 2015 when I visited the Transylvania region of Romania. The temperature was zero degrees with some snowfall throughout the day when I entered the garden of Peles Castle.
Nestled at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains in the picturesque town of Sinaia, within the Transylvania region, Romania, Peles Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle built as the summer residence of Romania’s longest-reigning monarch, King Carol I.
The castle is known as one of the most beautiful castles in Europe, along with the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Windsor Castle in England, and Chateau de Versailles in France.
With its fairytale turrets and pointed towers rising above acres of green meadows sprinkled with haystacks, Peles Castle was amazing. I felt as if I were entering an immortal kingdom of fairytales, with pixies, horses, princesses and princes.
The statue of King Carol I stands in front of the castle, which has seven terraces decorated with statues, stone wells, ornamental vases, and Carrara marble decorative pots. The garden is spectacular, with a breathtaking view of the mountains.
Nestled in the left side of the castle is the Monument of Queen Mary, who was more commonly known as Marie of Romania. She was the last queen consort of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I.
The castle was built between 1873 and 1883 and is well preserved even today. Between 1889 and 1903, the architect built Pelisor Chateau, a modern and smaller replica of the main building, which was the residence of King Ferdinand I and Queen Mary.
There are some interesting facts about Peles Castle. It was the first European castle entirely lit by electricity. The electricity was produced by the castle’s own plant. In addition, many workers of different nationalities built Peles Castle, as indicated by the journal of Queen Elisabeth of the Romanians during the construction phase.
The eternal sense of past life and enduring beauty was an amazing inspiration for the people who saw the castle. It seems the castle and its surroundings are untouched by the endless change of seasons. It still looks very much alive. I understood the spirit of immortality when I saw Peles Castle.
Peles Castle may not be as fancy and legendary as other castles in England, France, or Germany. But it deserves to be called “the immortal beauty”.
