We took an all day tour today to see Peles and Dracula’s Castle. Peles Castle is located in Sinaia. It’s a beautiful area, popular for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. I would recommend coming here via the train, taking your time and enjoying the town and scenery.
Peles Castle was the home of King Carol the First.
This is a mirror on the wall reflecting the painting on the ceiling.
On to Braşov, a popular tourist town. We were here just long enough to have lunch and a short visit around the main square.
Some views of the Romanian countryside.
Our last stop was Dracula’s Castle. I’m sorry to say this was a big disappointment. Dracula’s Castle has little to nothing to do with the real Vlad the Impaler. It is however a great marketing strategy as it had wall to wall people inside. Unfortunately, we could see very little and actually exited the castle early.
A picture of Vlad the Impaler. He was known to grease long wooden sticks with pointed ends and stick them through his enemies while alive. (Insert the big eye emoji here). He then would stick them in the ground making “forests” as a warning to others who wanted to cross the border.
Side note: Our driver was an outgoing, very animated guy who was nostalgic for the communist era. He remembered times when everyone was given homes for free, jobs were abundant, and no one was trying to get the name brand items. Everyone was happy with their simple lives and with what they had. It was interesting to hear his perspective.
