PELES CASTLE – A BLEND OF THEMES AND STYLES

By jossie
August 29, 2024

Europe is home to many precious, exquisite and enchanting places and castles to visit. Romania hosts a large number of such interests and Peles Castle is among the top must-sees here.

Image Credits: Marius Mitea from Pixabay

Now, if interior design is your thing or you want to get some inspiration for the way your home will look besides tasting a bit of Romanian history, a visit here will be more than helpful since the castle pleases the visitors’ eyes with a bundle of styles ranging from Gothic to oriental.

It is enough to see a few pictures of Peles Castle to understand why the place attracts so many tourists. For those of you interested in history as well as in architecture, this is a must-see and a place that will disconnect you from 2014 and place you somewhere around the 1900s.

Leaving history aside, the 160 room castle is a splendiferous mix of wood, bricks, marbles and stone arranged in a style that blends elements of German baroque, Italian Renaissance, French Rococo and Gothic styles. Chosen carefully and skillfully, all these elements put together create what is now known as one of the most beautiful castles in Europe.

The two inspired architects behind this grand work of man’s creativity and intellect are the Viennese architect Wilhem Doderer and Johann Schultz de Lemberg. The building of Peles Castle started in 1873 under the direct order of Doderer only to be continued by Schultz in 1876. The building process wasn’t free of impediments and the work was abandoned during 1877-1879. The castle was inaugurated in 1883, though, and completed in 1914.

Located just 44 km from Brasov, in Sinaia, Peles Castle takes its name from the brooks passing through the courtyard. What we see today is practically the wit, inspiration and talent of the two architects. Their turn for beauty has lead to the wondrous castle surrounded by seven terraces displaying Carara marble, statues sculptured by the Italian Romanelli, stone-made wells that give the place this unique touch as well as ornamentals vases.

Among the rooms one can visit here, a special place is held by the French Room, the Big Armory Room, the Moresque Room, the Council Room, the Imperial Suite, the Turkish Room as well as the Concert Room. Over 2,000 paintings, a great number of statues, ceramics, ivory and ebony sculptures, weapons and Murano crystal chandeliers make for quite a feast for the eyes of so many visitors coming to see the place.

The stained-glass windows as well as the gold and silver plates all contribute to the beauty of the Peles Castle where one can enter a different world of times long gone. The many rooms, the so different styles and the variety of design elements make one feel like he’s visiting several countries at the same time. That’s why Peles Castle is so spectacular. It’s not only French, it’s not only German, it’s not only Turkish. It is Romanian and it is several countries at the same time. It brings several cultures and design elements into one place. And that makes for a good reason to pay the castle a visit!