City Orientation Walk

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk Sinaia is a wonderful city and resort, located at the base of Bucegi mountain. The city is renowned for its beautiful Romanian architecture which nearly provides as gorgeous a landscape as the backdrop. Here, you will find a vast number of buildings that are known by individuals worldwide, as well as visited by thousands of tourists each year. Guide Location: Romania» Sinaia # of Attractions: 10 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.5 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Sinaia. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Sinaia Town Hall B) "Unirii" Market C) Railway Station D) Sinaia Casino E) Sinaia Monastery F) Biserica Mare G) The Bell Tower H) Hotel "Furnica" I) Pelisor Castle J) Peles Castle Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - A) Sinaia Town Hall (must see) Sinaia's town hall was built at the end of the 19th century. Interesting enough, the building features Tudor style architecture, as well as baroque and Roman influences. The building features two main wings with white walls and arched windows painted brown. In front of town hall you will discover a pretty garden. Address: Carol I Blvd, 47, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Luc Saillard B) "Unirii" Market "Unirii" market is the most important agricultural market in Sinaia. Fresh apples, grapes, peaches, potatoes, tomatoes as well as anything else Romania has to offer is located at Unirii. Not only are the prices great, but the vendors are always willing to please the buyers. Cooked meals, including "mici" and "mitiei", as well as fried pork meat are served on occasion. Address: Piata Unirii Street, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Julienbzh35 C) Railway Station (must see) The Sinaia train station serves the Sinaia mountain resort in Romania. The first station was built in 1913 by the Demeter Cartner Company, and it was reserved exclusively for the Royal Family and its guests at Peleş Castle, generally foreign leaders. On the station platform, there is a memorial plate marking the spot where Prime Minister Ion G. Duca was assassinated by the Iron Guard in The newer Royal Train Station is some tens of meters away from the first one, built following the plans of architect Duiliu Marcu in It is a stone building in Neo-Romanian style, which, at that time, displayed the Hohenzollern coat of arms. The building also featured a depot housing the Royal Train. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - In front of the train station there is a large plaza designed with the purpose of holding official welcome ceremonies for various foreign leaders. The main room is decorated with a wall painting (5.50 meters x 5.50 meters) depicting a boar hunt of Wallachian Prince Basarab I (eight life-size characters on horseback, alongside an inscription in Latin reading Basarab Voivode, 14th century). Opening hours: 24 h "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Railway, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Andrei Stroe. Sight description based on Wikipedia. D) Sinaia Casino (must see) The Sinaia Casino is located in "Dimitrie Ghica" park and was built at the initiative of King Carol I of Romania. Construction began in 1912 and was finished a year later. The work was supervised by architect Petre Antonescu, who was also the author of the plans. The main shareholder in the casino was Baron of Marçay, a shareholder in the Monte Carlo Casino. The opening was celebrated with fireworks and a piano recital by George Enescu, and it became a major attraction between the wars. After the communist takeover in the 1940s, gambling ceased and the casino is now an international conference center. Address: Ghica Park, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Felix. Sight description based on Wikipedia. E) Sinaia Monastery (must see) The Sinaia Monastery was founded by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino in 1695 and named after the great Sinai Monastery on Mount Sinai. As of 2005, it is inhabited by 13 Christian Orthodox monks led by hegumen Macarie Bogus. Prince (Spătarul) Mihail Cantacuzino founded the monastery upon his return from a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. The first buildings were completed between 1690 to It was designed to serve as a monastery as well as a fortified stronghold on the route from Brasov to Bucharest. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - In the midst of the Russo Turkish War, , before deserting the monastery, monks hid the valuables by burying them inside a bell. The Ottomans burned the area and broke through the wall in two places. In 1948, the monastery was put under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Bucharest from the Board of Civil Hospitals. The Romanian Patriarch, Justinian Marina, restored the buildings between the years 1951 and 1957 with money from the Archdiocese. During this period, the whole monastery was fitted with running water, electricity, and natural gas. Thanks to the efforts of King Carol I, the Great Church of the monastery has become the first church to use electric lights in Romania. Opening hours: Monday Sunday: 10:30 am 4:30 pm "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Manastirii Street, 2, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Marcin Szala. Sight description based on Wikipedia. F) Biserica Mare (must see) Under the leadership of Hegumens Ioasaf and Paisie, construction of The Great Church began in 1842 using funds allocated by the monastery and was completed in This smaller structure was enlarged by the Board of Civil Hospitals during a period from 1897 to These efforts gave the building the appearance it has today. Created by architect George Mandrea, the structure utilizes the Moldavian style and the Brâncovenesc style from Walachia. It is said that the belt of three green enamel lines that encircle the building represent the unity of the Holy Trinity in one God and the unity of the Three Romanian Kingdoms in one country. The gold mosaic paintings were created by Danish artist Aage Exner in a typical neo-byzantine style. The furniture was made of wood by Constantin Babic and his students at the Bucharest Art School (Ṣcoala de Arte si Meserii). The King's throne displays the royal emblem and the motto Nihil sine Deo (Nothing without Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - God). Both thrones are gold-plated. A remarkable piece adorning the monastery is the epitaphios by Anna Roth, made of silk and gold on a cotton base. It took three years (from 1897 to 1900) to finish. "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Manastirii Street, 2, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Aleksander Dragnes. Sight description based on Wikipedia. G) The Bell Tower (must see) During the leadership of egumen Nifon Popescu ( ). the Bell Tower was added and has since served as a phenomenal monastery. The bell weights 1700 kg. and was brought from the Colţea Tower in Bucharest (or one of the most important bell towers in the capital of Romania). Today, Bell Tower is a prominent monastery, celebration of traditional orthodox holidays as well as other special occasions. Also, the tower features a designated monk that rings the bell everyday for more that 60 years. Address: Manastirii Street, 2, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Bogdan H) Hotel "Furnica" "Furnica" is the true expression of Romanian building style, due to the white walls with dark, large windows as well as the unique roof, specific to the mountainous city. The furniture inside is largely hand made, with a lot of wall decorations also made by local artists. Address: Hotel Furnica, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Laurap Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

9 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - I) Pelisor Castle (must see) Pelişor Castle is part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleş. It was built in by order of King Carol I, as the residence for his nephew and heir, the future King Ferdinand (son of Carol's brother Leopold von Hohenzollern) and Ferdinand's consort Queen Marie. In 2006, it was decided that the palace complex, including Pelisor, long a museum and tourist site, is the legal property of the heirs of the Romanian royal family. They will take legal possession of it and sell it back to the Romanian state, so that it will remain in its current status. The main castle of Peles has already so sold, but negotiations about other villas and chateaus are ongoing. King Michael I of Romania appears decisive that of the complex, Pelisor castle will remain as place for his heirs, the Royal Family. Pelişor was designed by the Czech architect Karel Liman in the Art Nouveau style; the furniture and the interior decorations were designed mostly by the Viennese Bernhard Ludwig. Opening hours: 15 May -15 September: Tuesday 11 am 5 pm; Wednesday - Sunday 9 am 5 pm; 16 September - 14 may: Wednesday 11 am - 5 pm; Thursday-Sunday 9 am - 5 pm; "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Pelisor Castle, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Cristian Bortes. Sight description based on Wikipedia. J) Peles Castle (must see) Peleş Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and Its inauguration was held in By form and function, Peleş is a palace, but it is consistently called a castle. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -

10 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 10 - Its architectural style is a romantically inspired blend Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival similar to Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. A Saxon influence can be observed in the interior courtyard facades, which have allegorical hand-painted murals and ornate fachwerk similar to that seen in northern European alpine architecture. Interior decoration is mostly Baroque influenced, with heavy carved woods and exquisite fabrics. The collection of arms and armor has over 4,000 pieces. Peleş Castle has a 3,200-square-metre (34,000 sq ft) floor plan with over 170 rooms, many with dedicated themes from world cultures (in a similar fashion as other Romanian palaces, like Cotroceni Palace). The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in Eastern and Central Europe, consisting of statues, paintings, furniture, arms and armor, gold, silver, stained glass, ivory, fine china, tapestries, and rugs. Perhaps the most acclaimed items are the hand-painted stained glass vitralios, which are mostly Swiss. Peleş Castle shelters a painting collection of almost 2,000 pieces. Opening hours: Summer time: 14 May 16 September: Tuesday: 11 am 5 pm Wednesday Sunday: 9 am 5 pm Winter time: 17 September - 13 May: Wednesday: 11 am 5 pm Thursday Sunday: 9 am 5 pm "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Peles Castle, Sinaia, Romania Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Adam Jones. Sight description based on Wikipedia. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 10 -