Beautiful Brasov! Part Two: A Full Day Of Touring Three Castles (Bran/"Dracula", Peles, Rasnov)

On Wednesday, August 3rd, I did something I almost NEVER do: I joined an organized tour group for a full day of touring the castles famous in the region of Transylvania, very close to Brasov. In fact, the so-called "Dracula Castle" is famous worldwide, thanks to the classic novel by the Irish author, Bram Stoker, who wrote the book in 1897. He modeled his Dracula vampire character after a very real, very infamous, Romanian leader: Vlad the Impaler. I encourage you to read about him in wikipedia-- a truly fascinating story! Some people consider him a Romanian hero, while others, the psychopathic terror of the century! No mater what, it is quite an account:    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_the_Impaler


Unfortunately, the tale of Dracula has caused the privately owned castle of Bran to become a raging, commercial "success" on the scale of a Romanian Disneyland. After all the hype and anticipation, it was somewhat anticlimactic and disappointing. Basically, it is a medieval castle that was the summer home of some Romanian Royals. The architecture is nice for a medieval castle, but the hokey Halloween-ish videos and other "medieval torture horrors" was positively ridiculous. It was NOT a cheap entry, either! (Most dismayingly, I had not realized that this pricey tour did NOT include any castle entry fees... a sly, hidden aside I found quite devious and unacceptable!) 

Thankfully, however, all was redeemed by castle number two: the Peles Castle, which was positively magnificent! I mean, truly, jaw-droppingly gorgeous, on a scale I have never seen anywhere before. In fact, I honestly feel that a trip to Romania is worth it, JUST to visit Peles Castle! This is why I have included a detailed description here, along with a ridiculous amount of photos! I just couldn't get enough of this place, inside and out... 

And finally, seriously anticlimactic--but still interesting--was our third and final visit to the medieval fortress in the little town of Rasnov. The best part about IT was the great 20 minute hike up a steep trail to get to it (while the other participants--young and old alike--took the cable cars!)  

Bear with me...there are A LOT of photos, but I have included all of these because I really think they are worth viewing! Enjoy!! 


Part One: Peles Castle--some facts--

  • It is known as Castelul Peleș in Romanian 
  • It is a "neo-renaissance" castle, located in the Carpathian Mountains near the town of Sinaia, 48 kilometers from Brasov 
  • It was built between 1873 and 1914, so took about 40 years to complete! 
  • It was constructed for King Carol the 1st, who was German in origin
  • Peleș became the world's first castle fully powered by electricity
  • The palace design was constructed by the German architect, Johannes Schultz, who combined different features of classic European styles, mostly following Italian elegance and German aesthetics along Renaissance lines
  • Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman, who designed the towers, including the main central tower, which is 66 metres (217 ft) in height 
  • The cost of the work on the castle was estimated to be 16,000,000 Romanian lei in gold (approx. $120 million U.S. today)
  • Between three and four hundred men worked on the construction
  • King Carol was married to the Romanian Queen, Elizabeth
  • The King had a fascination for--and astoundingly huge collection of--weaponry and protective armoring from all around the world...thousands of rare pieces, in fact... 
  • The palace was constructed from 14 different kinds of wood from around the world, along with various metals and other materials...



The magnifent Peles Castle! (pronounced "pelish") 

























And now that you have absorbed the wonder of the EXTERIOR, prepare to have your mind blown by the INTERIOR: 





































































































 
Part 2: The Bran Castle-- otherwise known--not to the Romanians, but simply for commercial exploitation purposes--as the "Dracula" castle. This, only because Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned in its walls for a couple of months, so the whole hype around it was pretty ridiculous. Regardless--and despite the HUGE crowds and overpriced admission-- I enjoyed the beauty of this well-maintained medieval castle and its furnishings. It was the summer home of Romanian royalty, up until communism... at which point, it was turned into a museum. However, after the communists were overthrown, the rightful royal descendants reclaimed it for their own... this is one of the few privately owned castles in Romania open to the public. It was worth seeing, but Peles was my favorite, by far! 














































Part 3-- Final Part-- the Rasnov Fortress: a medieval fortress which offered refuge for townspeople and villagers from around the area in times of war. It was built as part of a defense system for the Transylvanian region exposed to outside invasions. The only chance of survival for the inhabitants of the area was the refuge inside the fortress at Râșnov. Compelled to stay there for decades at a time, the people of Râșnov and the nearby villages turned the fortification into their long-term place of residence.

There wasn't a whole lot there to see, 
truth be told-- it was a collection of ruins and housing 
in the process of being restored--but the views of the valley below 
were phenomenal! 
























Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bucharest, Part 2: Herastrau Park And A Walking Tour of Old Neighborhoods/Mansions

Image
I totally take back what I said in the previous blog about Bucharest being "ugly".    While it is true that many of the streets ARE nondescript at best, and truly ugly at worst, it is ALSO true that there are some quite beautiful parts as well... of which this blog is about!  I went on a second walking tour--this time, through the affluent old neighborhoods--the "old money" neighborhoods, one might say--and there were many beautiful old mansions to admire there. There were prettier, quieter streets, as one would expect, with large trees and much more greenery in general. It is also true-- per our lovely guide, Paul-- that many mansions are abandoned and have fallen into disrepair, simply because the descendents of the wealthy owners could not afford the upkeep. Tragic, indeed! Many are also now possessed by insitutions or corporations... and some, by various consulates and embassies.  It was a scenic and enjoyable evening's walk...especially because the sky was ...
Read more

A Final Fall Hike: Bullards Bar

Image
Here is a description of the location of my last long hike:  "New Bullards Bar Reservoir  is a large reservoir  in northeastern Yuba county, CA.,   at an elevation of 2,000 feet in the Tahoe National Forest.  It is a popular destination  for outdoor recreation. It is 16 miles in length and has 60+ miles of shoreline.    Bullards Bar is a mountain biking destination, with about 19 miles of hiking and biking trails, primarily on the east side of the lake."  The hike was a good--albeit chilly-- romp with a group of friends at this man-made reservoir. It is the strangest "lake", with steep, grooved sides made of golden-colored earth that has been carved away, leaving the most interesting-looking pattern (but wholly unnatural!) Again, as we all hiked along, we soaked in the lovely sights and smells, getting a good work-out in at the same time. It was a fine time and great finale before I must reluctantly head back to the urban ...
Read more

Portugal! A Final Visit to the Lovely Lisbon City...before departing Western Europe/Schengen Countries! (7/23/23)

Image
 It was a great day--and last visit--to the city, with Diego... wandering the streets, seeing the sights (like this crazy street "performer" of sorts!), and finishing with an amazing dinner in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, recommended by Andreia, the tour guide.  Who knows? I may be back one day! On the 24th, very early in the a.m., I was sad to have to leave the schengen countries... as my 90 day visa is finished... I would like to have stayed longer, but not possible! Such as it is..... The "flying man", as Diego and I dubbed this character! It was fun trying to discern the trick behind this... one metal rod deep into the ground, no doubt...the other one forming an arc around his midriff, most likely...exceedly clever, no matter what...but the poor guy must have been broiling hot in this get-up!  Some nobiel horseman or other!  Diego and I feasted on a grilled fish platter for two;  it also included salad, roasted potatoes, prawns, grilled asparagus, and a ch...
Read more