Tourist guide Sinaia, Prahova

1. Tourist info center

The Tourist Information Center in Sinaia is located in the Dimitrie Ghica Park, the same park where the Casino is located. From Monday to Friday it's open from 9am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 5pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 2pm, which is not strictly adhered to. Unfortunately, the attitude of the staff here is not what a tourist would want either, especially as Sinaia is one of Romania's most popular tourist destinations. Pretty poor informative material.

2. Sinaia Monastery

From the Info Center we venture up the city's streets and staircase shortcuts to the Sinaia Monastery. Its address is on Monastery Street 2. The monastery is open daily from 8-20. The monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built between 1690-1695. It was founded by Spătarul Mihail Cantacuzino. You can visit the Old Church, the Transfiguration Chapel, the Holy Trinity Church and a museum. Sinaia Monastery is declared a historical monument.

You can read more on the link monastery.

From the monastery we continue climbing. We pass by the Molomoț Cross, the only evidence of the existence of the hermitage of St. Nicholas, the first monastic settlement here, attested since 1581.

3. Peles Castle and Pelesor Castle

From the cross we climb a little further up, and then we descend to the pearl of Sinaia, Peles Castle. The address of the castle is 2 Peleșului street (alley). You can visit the castle from Wednesday to Sunday between 9:15-17. It is owned by the Royal House of Romania and the Ministry of Culture. The architectural styles represented at Peles Castle are Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic. Peles Castle was the summer residence of Romania's first royal couple, King Carol I and Queen Elisabeta. The castle was built between 1873-1914. It is considered to be the most important historical architectural ensemble in Romania. Due to its historical and artistic value, it is one of the most important monuments in Europe. The castle is home to the National Museum Peles. Around the castle there are several fountains, the statue of King Carol I and the statue of Queen Elisabeth, also known as Carmen Sylva.

For more information you can also visit Peles Castle.

200 meters away, in the same sprawling courtyard, is Pelișor Castle. It has the same program as Peles Castle. Pelesor Castle was built between 1899-1902 and is part of the same architectural ensemble created by King Carol I on the valley of the Peles stream. The architectural style is Art Nouveau. Pelesor Castle belongs to the Royal House of Romania. There is another castle behind Pelișor Castle, Foișor Castle, but we found access to the alleyways of the domain forbidden due to some works.

4. Stirbey Castle

From Pelișor we go up again to the main street, and then we start a long descent of more than 2 km, including short cuts with stairs, to another castle, located right next to the Sinaia - Cota 1400 cable car station. All along the way we admired the houses and villas of Sinaia. We reach Stirbey Castle. It hosts SInaia City Museum. It can be found at 28 Carol I Boulevard and is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. It is actually the villa Ana Stirbey, one of the first villas in Sinaia, built in 1875. Website Stirbey Castle gives a full description of the villa and museum.

5. Carmen Sylva Cultural Center

Not very far away, on Mihail Kogălniceanu Street 80 is Carmen Sylva Cultural Center. The villa was built in 1898 and was the first mixed primary school in Sinaia. Cultural Center is also featured on its own website.

6. Sinaia Race

Race Sinaia is itself an ensemble of historical monuments. There have been 3 train stations in Sinaia. The first station, inaugurated in 1879, included the reception hall of Prince Carol I. In 1911 a part of the first station was replaced by the current public station. From the first station, the royal saloon has been preserved, which houses a museum of little trains, and a steam locomotive is exhibited after this. Then, between 1938-1940, the second royal station, King Charles II. station, the southernmost construction, was built.

7. George Enescu Memorial House

From the train station we go 2 km upstream along the Prahova river, which we cross at a certain point to reach the George Enescu Memorial House. It is located in the Cumpătu neighborhood, on Yehudi Menuhin Street. The museum is housed in Villa Luminiș, built in 1923-1926 in neo-Romanesque style. It was to be a place of inspiration for a significant part of composer George Enescu's work, as well as a place of recreation for the artist, who lived here for 20 years. Memorial House it is open daily from 9am to 5pm, except Mondays.

8. Sinaia Casino

The SInaia Casino is located in the Dimitrie Ghica Park, 2 Carol I Boulevard. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 10am-5pm. The casino was built in 1912-1913 on the initiative of King Carol I. The main shareholder was Baron de Marcay, one of the owners of the casino in Monte Carlo. The inauguration was celebrated with fireworks and a piano recital by composer George Enescu. It was one of the main attractions of the interwar period. The architectural style is Art Nouveau. Sinaia Casino is also featured on its own website.

We continue our walk through Dimitrie Ghica Park by the Fountain of the Angels, by the Bust of Dimitrie Ghica, by the artesian fountain and we close our touristic loop at the Tourist Info Center. In the park there is also the Bucegi Reservation Museum.