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Peles Castle

Bran Castle

Rasnov Fortress

Corvin Castle

Castles & Fortresses

Castles offer us the opportunity to witness up-close the mystical and the magical. From childhood, we are transported with our storybooks to worlds unknown with majestic castles and their spectacular gardens, their noble kings and queens, and decorated with all that imagination can fathom.

These structures are in stark contrast to Romania’s surrounding somber effects of more than 40 years of Communism. The castles and fortresses showcase phenomenal craftsmanship and remind us that all around the world, there are places where fantastic displays of wealth are surrounded by devastating poverty and environmental pollution.

MotoRomania recommends a visit to the Peles and Pelisor Palaces in Sinaia, Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, Bran Castle, and Rasnov Fortress. Along with these great destinations, take time to visit the medieval fortress city of Sighisoara.

King Carol I's summer residence, the PELES CASTLE took 39 years to complete its 160 rooms and 3500 square feet. More than 400 craftsmen and thousands of laborers finished the castle only months before the king died. Ironically, it has not been lived in since his death in 1914.

While waiting for a guided tour (in groups of no more than 30), take time to wander the landscaped grounds. Carol's wife and novelist, Elisabeta Carmen Silva rests on the grounds and is heavily guarded.

Unfortunately, no photography is permitted on the brisk 30-minute guided tour of only 16 rooms. (Supposedly the stairs and floors are in poor condition not permitting access to the rest of the castle.) But after donning the required woolen slippers, you are guaranteed to be surprised by what is about to open before your eyes. The Castle boasts highly detailed walnut carvings, European antiques, rich textiles, Murano glass chandeliers, elaborate furnishings in the Turkish smoking room, a Louis XIV room housing the theatre, and retractable oversized skylight over the Grand Hall with the Czech architect carved in wood and peering down from his perch on the massive column. With Rembrandt reproductions in the king's office, a secret escape passage in the library behind a stack of "books," a gallery of mirrors, the leather-clad dining room, fairytale images etched on stained glass windows in the poetry room, and 14 kinds of wood in the Council Room, you will be wandering awestruck! It was the first castle in Europe to have central heating and electricity.

During Ceausescu's time, the castle served as a private retreat for leading communists and statesmen from around the world. It is known that presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Libyan leader Moamar Gaddafi and late PLO leader Yasser Arafat were entertained here by Ceausescu. Between 1947 and 1975, Peles Castle was not open to the public. Extensive renovations were completed in 1990.

Only a few meters away is the PELISOR PALACE (1892). As it is known, Little Peles was built by King Carol for his nephew, Ferdinand and wife, Marie (who loathed Peles Castle and did not get along with Carol). The smaller palace was decorated in Marie's taste with an Art Nouveau style and furnishings imported from Vienna.

The nearby Folisor Hunting Lodge was built as the King's temporary residence while Peles was under construction. It also served as Ceausescu's private hunting lodge. Currently, the lodge is in the possession of the Romanian government and is closed to the public.

BRAN CASTLE is commonly and mistakenly referred to as “Dracula’s Castle.” The imposing structure was not built by Vlad Tepes, the historical figure on which Dracula is based. Rather, Saxons built it in the 14th century to defend Bran Pass from Turkish incursions from the south. The castle was more recently (1920s) used as a summer residence by Queen Marie of Romania until 1947. The subsequent communist government turned it into a museum. As of 2006, the building has been returned to a descendant of the royal family. Currently, it is still open as a museum.

With tall pines as a dramatic backdrop, the 13th century RASNOV PEASANT FORTRESS provides spectacular, expansive views of the plains towards the Piatra Craiului Mountains. Built by the Teutonic knights as a defense against the Tartar, and then Turkish invasions, Rasnov remained in use until 1850.

Wandering the well-preserved grounds and peering inside the passages, it is easy to imagine life inside the walls. Restoration is in process throughout much of the fortress. The museum exhibits showcase a number of tools, weapons and household items. Two Turkish prisoners who were promised freedom upon its completion, dug the 146-meter water well over 17 years.

The CORVIN CASTLE is considered the greatest fortress in Romania. With a country rich in ruins, it is amazing the castle is still standing and in fairly good condition. The Rough Guide to Romania quotes travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor as saying that the castle’s appearance was “so fantastic and theatrical that, at first glance, it looks totally unreal.”

The castle is surrounded by a 30-meter-deep moat, and connected by a narrow bridge across several stone piers. Impressive towers dominate the fairytale-like building, with rooflines accented by menacing spikes. Its presence is so strong, dark and ominous that you wonder what an enemy approaching its gates must have felt. The castle was built in the 1300s, and rebuilt and expanded by Iancu de Hunedoara in 1453. You enter the castle through a solid wooden door, and find yourself in the castle’s inner courtyard, surrounded by tall walls and several entrances. The castle is filled with galleries, spiral stairs, and two large halls, one of which served as the Knights’ Hall. The castle boasts its own water well, which was built by two Turkish prisoners over almost 30 years in exchange for their freedom.

A magical journey to the past

Peles Castle

Motorcycle Adventures for the 21st Century