Sinaia-The Pearl Of The Carpathian Mountains
Sinaia is a town situated in Bucegi Mountains, 60 km away from Ploiesti and 50 km away from Brasov.
It is a town with a high historic value. Over the years, Sinaia posed a lot of interest for the royal family and also for quite a few artists: King Carol I, King Ferdinand I, Queen Mary of Romania, composer George Enescu and writer/politician Nicolae Iorga.
Main tourist attractions: Peles Castle, Sinaia Casino, Sinaia Train Station and Sinaia Monastary.
Peles Castle was build and used as home for the royal family. Kings and Queens lived here for 40 years and it was the first completely electrified castle in Europe.
In the center of the town, next to the park, there lies a beautiful white building, The Sinaia Casino, which was built in just one year, in 1913. The main stock holder of the casino was the Baron of Marcay, who also owned some interests in the Monte Carlo Casino.
Due to its elegance and of course, the games, the Casino will shortly become an irresistible attraction of the resort and a substantial source of income for its owners.
Ballroom
One of the meeting rooms. The wallpaper is made of fabric and the carpet is the original one,
Concerts Hall
The games were carried out the Room of Mirrors, the Oval Room and “la salle privée”-The Private Room. The latter one had only 2 game tables and the minimum stake was 5 times higher than in the other rooms.
Even in 1913, the building had a pretty modern heating system. In the corner of the room you can see a large vent, through which heat would come in.
The life of the Casino and the lives of the players were sometimes influenced by Hagi Benlian, a Turk from the nearby bazaar. It’s said he used to lure rich female customers into reading winning numbers their coffee cups. The females would then paid him and run to the roulette table.
To know more about the history of this fascinating place, you can book a guide on the premises. They will take you across the Casino while relating all sorts of interesting sides of its history.
Here are some of Sinaia fun facts:
While mesmerized with the beauty of the area, (future kind) Carol the 1st buys a piece of land on which the Peles Castle will later be built. The Castle became the summer residence of the royal family, transforming Sinaia in one of the most luxurious touristic destinations in Europe. In 1883.
Sinaia Train Station
Over the years, it’s been rebuilt 3 times.
From the first train station only the Royal Lounge still exists (the rest was rebuilt). This room is now used as a museum, with a unique collection of railway models and insignias. The rest of the building was used as a common train station (and still is). This is where the famous Orient Express or Arlberg Express would stop!
The second one is the Royal Station, the station of King Carol the 2nd. Today, this station is still used by the royal train.
Outside the Sinaia train station you can see a steam locomotive and the armored car of former communist Romanian leader, Ana Pauker.
Bonus point of interest: the squirrels from the park, in front of the local museum.
