Tuesday, October 8, 2024

2024 September 30 - Romanian castles!

 

This is the view from my window at Upper Suites and More Hotel this morning - it is cloudy with a slight drizzle that is supposed to clear up.






Rather than the usual buffet, UpperHouse Suites & More offer breakfast off the menu - everything is freshly made and locally sourced. I ordered scrambled eggs with shredded sheep cheese on delicious seeded bread - it came with a small salad with balsamic dressing - it was delicious. 
JB had Eggs Benedict with ham that also came with a salad.






When I opened the drapes on the small patio, I found I had company. The receptionist told us that the cat belonged to the owners of the hotel but spent its time outside the hotel and the staff have adopted him.






Greetings/ad for a nearby children's amusement park - not today though because it was cold, windy, and rainy.



We arrived in Bran - home to Dracula's Castle - and we had the weather to match it.




The new main road into Bran that is being built now. It is very rough driving at the moment. It was difficult to find parking but after going past the castle and turning around, we found a space a short walk away. You can just barely make out the castle in the center of the photo



The vendors' stalls that you pass on the way to get a ticket. The gate opened at noon - we arrived about 11:45. We poked around the stalls for a few minutes then JB and Tina got in line for tickets. I had watched vlogs and read travel guides about Bran Castle so I already knew that I would never be able to negotiate the narrow windy steps in the Castle nor the steps up the hill to the Castle. So I didn't even get a ticket. I sent JB and Tina into the Castle, and I walked to a coffee shop to warm up - it was very cold damp and windy.



Stone steps up to the entrance to the Castle - JB said they were narrow and steep. Steps into the Castle below. 





Look at the door knocker! Is the monster on top eating or disgorging a fish or serpent? Is there one behind the sea monster as well?



Courtyard


Bran Castle was built in the 14th century as a defense for the border against the Ottoman Empire. It later was used as a customs point where merchants entering Wallachia/Transylvania had to pay taxes. The Castle later fell into disrepair. Queen Marie began restoration around 1920 when she began living there. During renovations, a hidden passage was found - it connects the first floor to to the third floor and was used as an escape hatch in an emergency. It was found when they were working on the room and moved an old fire place.

Bran Castle was gifted as a palace to Queen Marie in 1920 - she fell in love with it and spent many summer's there. In her will she requested that her heart be buried near the building and a sarcophagus was built there. An urn with her heart is on the southwest side of the building near a little creek close to the forest. When Queen Marie died, her daughter Princess Ileana inherited the castle. She converted it into a hospital to treat patients during WWII. She nursed the wounded until 1948 when the Communists took over the castle. 

In 2009 Bran Castle was returned by the Romanian government to its rightful owners - Dominic von Habsburg, Archduke of Austria-Tuscany and his sisters - Princess Maria Magdalena and Princess Elizabeth Sandhofer - they are grandchildren of Queen Marie - their mother was Princess Ileana. They in turn opened the castle to the public in June 2009 - the first private museum in Romania - it is popular world wide as Dracula's Castle based on Irish author Bram Stoker's book "Dracula" which was written in 1897.

Dracula the Vampire is believed to have been based on Vlad Tepes or Vlad Dracul which was a name associated with his family. Bram Stoker may have heard stories of Vlad impaling enemies - hence the name Vlad the Impaler. Vlad never lived in Bran Castle but may have been held captive there for 2 months. 








"Next to the King's bedroom, queen Marie prepared the Royal dining Room. In 1927 the ceiling beams were painted with geometric and vegetal motifs, and the coat of arms of the most important Transylvanian cities. Archduchess Ileana transformed this space into the children's playroom. The corner of the fireplace became one of the favorite spots of her children, today the owners of the Castle."





While JB and Tina were climbing through the Castle, I stopped at Gingerbread, a cute coffee shop between the entrance to the Castle grounds and our parking space.


Instead of a table and chairs, there are swings at a plank used as a table. There is another plank and swings in front of a window.  I was sitting at a long table with regular chairs.


I warmed up with a cup of tea, and of course I had to try the wares - the eclair was quite good. I asked the waitress if the ginger bread boys would last until Christmas. Unfortunately she said only until the end of October. That is a piece of gingerbread on the saucer with the tea - very nice.



Castle room dedicated to Dracula.









"The Terrace
Built in the fortress' old attic, the terrace has a crenelated rampart, reminding of the old firing holes, through which the soldiers would pour hot tar onto the assailants. From here to the south, one can observe the Customs House, the old commercial route, the defense walls and the electrical plant built in 1932. to the north , one can see the wooden structure of the watch tower, from which the guardsmen would look out over the Bran pass."








JB and Tina must have just missed me as they walked to the car - I had run back to the stalls to buy a few souvenirs - I thought I would see them and maybe stop back at the Gingerbread for coffee so they could warm up. But they were at the car so I headed back there. They were cold and wet but wanted to head on to Peles Castle. So with the car's heat blazing, that's where we headed. 


Just an idea of the weather altho pictures don't really do justice to fog and rain!






The rain lightened up as we drove through Sinaia again to Peles Castle. I love the architecture of this and the following pictures!










We finally made it to the Castle - JB drove thru as far as we could go - just outside the gate! The front of the castle is covered up for renovations.


This is the side you come in by - you get some idea of what the front of the castle looks like.


The Castle at one time had beautiful and extensive gardens - the front terraces and lawns could use some TLC - statues and sidewalks are chipped - maybe a good power washing would clean them up or maybe the power would destroy them!





This is an inner courtyard that we found.


Peles Castle was commissioned in 1873 by King Carol I, independent Romania's first king. He had fallen in love with the scenery and decided to build a royal hunting preserve and a summer retreat on the banks of the Peles Creek. It was the first European palace to be powered by electricity created by its own power plant! It was also the first to have central heating and elevators due to that power plant!



Enlargements of statues above.




Peles Castle is located within the Carpathian Mountains which we have been traveling through for days. It was built on a medieval route linking Wallachia and Transylvania







Statue of King Carol I of Romania in front of the Castle - he is responsible for Peles Castle. 


Statue of Queen Elizabeth, wife of King Carol I. When the Orient Express made its first stop in Bucharest in 1883, she invited passengers from Paris to Peles Castle to celebrate the completion of the construction - King Carol placed the last brick in place. 



Peles Castle remained in the hands of the Romanian Royal Family until King Michael was forced to abdicate in 1947 when the Communists seized control of Romania. They opened Peles Castle as a tourist attraction. Nicolae Ceausescu closed the castle after 1975 because he did not like it. It remained closed until the revolution of 1989 - it was then declared a heritage site and opened to the public. After a long judicial process, the castle in 2007 was returned to King Michael I who decided that the castle should continue to be open to the public.  


The lions had crazy looking eyes!





We were cold from being out in the damp cold wind so we walked over to Bar Regal for coffee to warm up - of course we could not pass up a sweet!




In the off season, we practically had the place to ourselves.





It must be nice here during the warm weather.



Statues guarding the bar!




Some buildings from Sinaia - I would consider staying here if I come back.






We were heading north to Cantacuzino Castle which served as the setting for the Netflix series "Wednesday."


Entrance to Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni, Romania. This castle served as the exterior backdrop for Nevermore Academy. The castle was originally built in 1911 as the summer residence of a Romanian Prince.

We parked the car a little bit away from this entrance -that is the ticket office. It was very cold and damp - and it was a hike to the castle. So I opted out and let JB and Tina enjoy seeing the castle without me slowing them down. I sat in the warm car and listened to my stomach grumbling.

We decided to find somewhere to eat so we drove back into the center of Busteni. We parked in front of the "Irish House Restaurant" but turned left and went into "ROA Pizza - Pasta - Grille."




ROA had 2 floors - the door was wide open on the first floor so we couldn't sit there in the cold. We went to the 2nd floor - there was practically no one there at about 4:30.


I had the best vegetable soup imaginable! And the warm bread was also spectacular! The rest of the meal did not compare to the soup which was a meal in itself. That is my glass of Schweppes Mandarin which was so much better than Schweppes Bitter Lemon but I never saw it again. 


I checked the weather app for Busteni and this is what showed up:



Busteni


I'm normally cold but this shows why my teeth were almost chattering!

We finished eating about 5:30-6 pm. We decided to head home to our hotel. It was getting dark and JB would be driving through foggy mountain roads - and there was still plenty of traffic. We had to pack our bags to head home to Bitola - we think we may be staying in Nis, Serbia tomorrow night to break up the 12 hour drive but we have no reservations yet! Oy Vay!




















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