Picking up the car was just the start of our adventure. Driving in Romania is MUCH different than in Germany, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. For one thing, we learned what is it like to drive on freeways that have roundabouts on them, and we got to experience a ten car stack to make a left turn. It was a good thing Jordan was driving and I recommend paying extra for the peace of mind of rental insurance.
In the 1920's Queen Mary, the niece of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, turned the castle into a beautiful summer residence. We think it's beautiful in the winter too!
Outside of the city the landscape becomes quite rural and the mode of transportation for locals changes too.
Our first stop was Peles Castle, the summer residence of the Romanian kings.
Unfortunately it was closed for cleaning, but the painted courtyard (which looks like its right out of a Romeo and Juliet fairytale) and fountain garden, the statues and view are all reasons to still visit, even if your timing is off.
Our next stop was Bran Castle. The castle owes it fame to both its unique charm and to the myth Bram Stoker created around Dracula.
Here is the Queen's bedroom:
And some of the other apartments...
I love the living room area, it looks very cozy, and I like the bear rug!
We learned how the castle become known as Dracula's Castle. It has the physical characteristics of the castle discribed in Vlad Stokers book Dracula, and the real Dracula even spent a few nights in this castle...but it was by no means his residence.
There were a labyrinth of hidden corners and secret chambers that led us to some great views
A view of the city from the top
We had a great time in the beautiful winter wonderland and enjoyed the Romanian Castles!
Woooooooooow!!! Definitely adding this to the good ol' bucket list!!
ReplyDeleteFreeways in texas have round-abouts on them! They are called "turnarounds" and were very bizarre to me.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so picturesque with the winter setting. Beautiful!!
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