Near Brasov, where we spent last night, is the famous mountain resort called Sinaia, where people love to come on holiday. Even King Carol I fell in love with the surroundings when he first visited the area in 1866. The King commissioned the construction of a royal hunting preserve and summer retreat, and the foundation was laid for Peleș Castle on 22 August 1873. It was inaugurated in 1883.
Portrait of King Carol I of Romania who built Peleș Castle.Grand reception hall in Peleș Castle, with busts of Carol and his wife, Elisabeth.Another portrait of King Carol I in an alcove of the Reception Hall at Peleș Castle.The armoury room, one of the most interesting at Peleș Castle. This full regalia for both horse and knight weighs 200kg, or 440 pounds! How anybody could fight, much less even move saddled down with all that weight, is beyond me.Another knight in shining armour in the Armoury.The Music Room at Peleș Castle.Moorish style room at Peleș Castle.Group photo at Peleș Castle.I’m loving my second visit to one of the prettiest castles in Europe.We return to Brasov for a walking tour of the old town. Just in front of our hotel is a fortress on the hill.Walking along the main street toward the central square of Brasov. The Black Church is in the distance.The architectural styles in Brasov are very eclectic.Central Square of Brasov. The building in the middle was just the clock tower at one time, and then expanded to be the city hall. It is now a museum.Walking toward the Black Church, so called because it was heavily damaged by a fire in its history.St. Catherine’s Gate into the old city. The four pinnacles on the corners of the gate indicated that this was a city with a judicial system empowered to carry out the death sentence.The old Synagogue of Brasov.
We have some free time to explore the old city. I get my shopping errands done. Dinner is at a restaurant right on the central square tonight. Returning to the hotel, the lights are just getting turned on at the Fortress above.
