Castles to visit Romania

This summer residence of King Carol I and his wife Elisabeth has become one of the most visited places in Romania. It was built between 1873 and 1914, according to the rather crazy plans of Doderer and Schultz. Its first inauguration took place in 1883, after which it was enlarged under the direction of the Czech architect Karel Liman. At the cutting edge of modernity in its time, Peleș was the first castle in Europe to have electricity and central heating. Carol I died there in 1914. Under communism, the confiscated royal residence was used as a holiday resort by party cadres. Distinguished guests, such as foreign heads of state, were often welcomed. The effect of this tall building, perched in its green setting, is immediate on the visitor, astonishing the eye with its towers, spires and half-timbered houses. In the German neo-Renaissance style, it is also influenced by Italian, Oriental, French and Gothic styles. The 160 rooms in the building are characterized by rich wooden ornaments, which are also found on the facades. The abundance and diversity of statues, pottery, precious vases, weapons, stained-glass windows, tapestries and porcelain is impressive. Among the most beautiful rooms, you will visit the Hall of Honour, characterized by its beautiful carved walnut decorations, or the library, all in wood panelling, absolutely magnificent. In the reception room, wooden models of sixteen castles belonging to the Hohenzollern family (Carol I's family) are on display. The armoury displays collections of European and Oriental weapons from the 15th century onwards. The stained glass windows of the music room, the Florentine room with its gilded wood and marble decorations, the Moorish room with its marble-encrusted furniture, and the theatre where the country's first film projection took place in 1906, will also delight you. The estate of Peleș includes several other beautiful buildings, also built by Carol I: in addition to the castle of Pelișor or the many outbuildings converted into hotels or restaurants, there is the castle of Foișor, a hunting lodge used in its time by Ceaușescu. Today it is a ceremonial residence of the Romanian state, which is not open to the public. The park at Peleș can be visited for free. The Italian Renaissance style gardens, laid out on terraces, enhance the castle, which seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale, particularly well.

Archaeological studies seem to show that the first foundations of the German settlers were one-storey wooden houses supported by massive oak beams. The stone and brick houses were built in stages between the 15th and 18th centuries, especially after the great fire of 1676. The citadel (cetate) is not very big and you will not get lost in it. It is surrounded by old fortifications from the 14th century, of which mainly the towers added in the 15th century remain. The pretty Piaţa Cetăţii is the centre of the city.

This ^15th-century pink-brick fortress became an important princely residence in the ^16th century. Transformed into an Italian Renaissance-style castle by Transylvanian Prince Gábor Bethlen in the early ^17th century, it was used in the second half of the century as a meeting place for the Diet, and much later, between 1948 and 1960, as a prison for political opponents. Today, it houses the Ethnographic and Historical Museum of the city and its region, with a fine collection of icons on glass, ceramics, costumes...

Built by Prince Brâncoveanu in the early ^18th century, this palace has an eventful history. After the prince's death, it suffered extensive damage from fire and invasion, and was once used as an inn. Recently renovated, it now hosts seminars, exhibitions, concerts and a restaurant. Its balconies, arcades and ornamental sculptures are remarkable. The color of the stone and bricks and the architectural harmony of the whole are enchanting. The roof of the main building features curious chimneys.

One of the best preserved in Transylvania. Atop a hill, it offers breathtaking views. Built in 1335 to protect the village from possible attackers, particularly the Tatars, it was subsequently transformed several times. Its 5-meter-high walls included nine defensive towers. In 1690, during the city's last siege, the fortress was taken by the Turks. Damaged by fire in 1718, then by an earthquake in 1802, it served as a final refuge during the revolutions of 1821 and 1848.

Slightly higher than the royal palace, Pelișor (literally "little Peleș", which nonetheless has 70 rooms) bears the same German Renaissance touch as its big brother. It was built between 1899 and 1903 by Carol ^I, who presented it as a gift to his nephew Ferdinand and his wife Marie, heirs to the Romanian throne. It was she who designed the interior decoration, in the Art Nouveau style she was so fond of. The small palace reveals the romantic, avant-garde personality of this aesthete queen, who died here in 1938.

It is the main tourist attraction in Suceava. To the east of the city, on a wooded plateau overlooking it, the Throne Fortress (cetatea de Scaun) was built in the 14th century by Petru II Muşat, who had taken up residence there. It remained the main residence of Moldova's leaders for almost two hundred years, when Suceava was the capital of the province. The building was enlarged and fortified by the sovereign Alexander the Good, who made it a defensive work. Later, Ştefan cel Mare considerably reinforced the surrounding walls and towers. Damaged by Turkish attacks and invested by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538, it was dismantled in the following century, then gradually fell into ruin, a degradation accelerated by the transfer of the Moldavian capital to Iași in 1564. Its stones were even used as building material. Its circular shape, massive walls, some watchtowers and the remains of the foundations can still be seen. The fortress was the subject of a vast rehabilitation and development project in 2015. It now houses an exhibition combining period objects (medieval arms and coats of arms, crowns...) and multimedia projections on the history of Moldova.

In the large park surrounding the fortress stands the monumental statue of Ștefan cel Mare, the great builder of monasteries. It is 23 m high and dates back to 1977, a period during which Ceaușescu enjoyed reviving the heroes of Romanian history.

Erected in the ^15th century by Transylvanian voivode István Báthory, the fortifications were almost entirely destroyed in the early ^17th century, then rebuilt between 1605 and 1653. The enclosure, surrounded by bastions named after guilds (tailors, butchers, tanners, etc.), is remarkably well preserved, with a pretty public garden. The main tower houses a small Citadelle museum upstairs. The walls protect the ^14th-century Hungarian Reformed Church (in the center of the courtyard), built by the Dominicans on the site of a former Franciscan monastery. A ^17th-century building houses the Archaeology and History Museum (open Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm). The citadel is a regular venue for events such as the Festival des Lumières in May.

The streets around the citadel, such as bulevardul Cetății, offer beautiful tree-lined promenades lined with pretty houses. On strada Mitropolit Andrei Șaguna, a few steps north of the citadel, you'll see a small wooden church from 1794 dedicated to Saint Michael (sfântul Mihail). It stands in the middle of a cemetery and is said to have sheltered Mihai Eminescu, the national poet, for a night. South of the citadel is the Bolyai Memorial Museum, housed in the same building as the Teleki Library (strada Bolyai 17, open every day except Monday). It is dedicated to the mathematician Farkas Bolyai (1775-1856).

Built between 1307 and 1315 by Charles Robert of Anjou, King of Hungary, it was enlarged by Iancu of Hunedoara (Hunyadi) in the 15th century and served as a barracks in the 18th century. Damaged by earthquakes and battles, rebuilt several times, its current appearance dates back to 1856. The castle houses the Banat Museum, which traces the history of the region. It also includes a natural sciences section. But it has been closed for several years for renovation, with no known reopening date at the time of closure. Temporary exhibitions are organized at the Theresia bastion.

The citadel of Deva is considered one of the most important medieval fortresses in Transylvania. Situated atop a volcanic cone over 180 m high, it dominates the town and the Mureș valley, as well as the main road linking Romania to western and central Europe. It was built around the middle of the ^13th century, on the ruins of Daco-Roman fortifications. Traces of human occupation dating back to the Neolithic period have even been found on the site. The citadel has been restored and reconfigured over time, according to the needs of its owners. In the ^15th century, the voivode Iancu de Hunedoara (János Hunyadi) transformed it into a fortified castle, which played a major role during the Ottoman invasions. In the ^16th and ^18th centuries, the second and third perimeter walls were built. During the Transylvanian Revolution of 1784, the fortress served as a refuge for nobles fleeing the uprising campaigns. Fierce battles ensued between the imperial garrison and the rebels. The citadel was restored after 1817, by order of Emperor Franz ^I. But in 1849, a fire caused by the explosion of the ammunition depot largely destroyed the imposing structure. Today, thanks to extensive restoration work, it is possible to get an idea of the past grandeur of the city of Deva.

It can be reached either by cable car, or on foot via marked paths through the woods on the slopes of the hill. The view from the top is extraordinary.

This fortified castle, the town's oldest building, was erected in 1621, burnt down during the Tatar invasions of 1661 and rebuilt in 1716. Its role was both defensive and political (seat of the Sicilian Country). Today, it houses a museum with historical, folkloric and artistic collections relating to the region and reflecting its cultural particularities. Behind the castle, you can see the reconstruction of two traditional houses.

This superb, vast castle, built between 1438 and 1543, belonged to the Bánffy family, one of Transylvania's most important noble families. Originally built in the Renaissance style, it was later extensively modified to become a pearl of Baroque architecture. Nicknamed the "Versailles of Transylvania", it was considered the most beautiful in Transylvania at the time. It remained so until the end of the Second World War: requisitioned by the Germans in 1944, it was ravaged by a terrible fire as they retreated. The fire spared only the walls and a few Baroque statues. Communism didn't help matters: like many other Transylvanian castles, the building was deliberately abandoned and vandalized. It wasn't until 1999 that restoration work began, with the help of international funds and the support of Prince Charles of England, who visited the site and fell in love with it. Today, as the site is gradually restored, training programs in the conservation of historic buildings are organized for craftsmen. Artists are welcomed in residence, and a cultural café has been set up in the former kitchens. The park has become a popular place for picnics and relaxation. Bánffy Castle also hosts major cultural events, such as the popular Electric Castle music festival, which takes place every year in mid-July.

Strategically located to dominate the city and the northern plains, the citadel(cetatea) was part of Braşov's fortification plan, after that of Mount Tâmpa had been abandoned. Modified and remodeled many times over the centuries, the citadel lost its defensive role in the ^19th century, serving in turn as a prison, a military barracks and a repository for state archives under Communism. It was extensively restored in the 1980s. You can't visit the interior, but the view over the city is sumptuous.

In the small town of Carei, 36 km southwest of Satu Mare, this superb Baroque castle is well worth a visit. Built in 1792 by the powerful Károlyi family on the site of a ^15th-century fortress, it was transformed again in 1894 to take on its current eclectic, medieval castle form: several towers were added and the facades decorated with Romantic and Neo-Gothic elements. The interiors, furnished with period furniture, recreate the atmosphere of a late ^19th-century aristocratic residence.

Commissioned by Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, one-time Prime Minister, the castle was built in 1911. Its facade is a fine example of neo-Romanesque architecture, while the colorful interior features stained glass, stucco and woodwork. The^2nd floor houses an art gallery where exhibitions are held. The castle has also seen a resurgence in tourist interest since the airing of the hit TV series Mercredi (Wednesday), since it was here that the scenes set at Nevermore Academy were filmed.