Peleș Castle

Peleș Castle (Romanian: Castelul Peleș pronounced [kasˈtelul ˈpeleʃ] ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. Its inauguration was held in 1883. It was constructed for King Carol I of Romania. Location The complex is northwest of the town of Sinaia , which is 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Brașov and 124 kilometres (77 mi) from Bucharest . In the southeastern Carpathian Mountains , the complex is composed of three monuments: Peleș Castle, Pelișor Castle , and the Foișor Hunting Lodge. History Murals in the inner court When King Carol I of Romania (1839–1914), under whose reign the country gained its independence, first visited the site of the future castle in 1866, he fell in love with the magnificent mountain scenery. In 1872, the Crown purchased 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) of land near the Piatra Arsă River . The estate was named the Royal Estate of Sinaia . The King commissioned the construction of a royal hunting preserve and summer retreat on the property, and the foundation was laid for Peleș Castle on 22.