Peleș Castle

What makes it special

The Hall of Honour is the tallest room in the house, rising about sixteen metres through three floors. It is panelled in carved walnut, with Carrara marble pillars, statues and arches. It was the castle's main reception hall, built over what had been an inner courtyard.

The stained-glass ceiling is built to slide open on an electric motor, so look up before you move on.

The rooms around it each take a different style. In the Moor Hall, look for the marble fountain, a copy of one in Cairo, and in the Royal Library, find the secret door hidden behind a bookcase. The armoury halls hold the royal weapons collection, and the small theatre on the ground floor still has a projection booth for film screenings.

From outside, the castle is built to look like a Swiss chalet, after the king turned down first designs modelled on the castles of the Loire.

Visiting

Before you reach the door, expect a wait in the courtyard at busy times, often half an hour or more, with nowhere to sit. Your ticket gives an hourly entry slot, so turn up within it. At the door you pull plastic sleeves over your shoes and keep them on to the end.

You start on the ground floor and move one way through the rooms in a set order, so you cannot double back. Check which floors your ticket covers when you buy; with the first floor included, you finish the ground floor before going up.

Allow an hour to an hour and a quarter inside, and another half hour for the terraces and gardens. Pelișor, the smaller castle a short walk further up the same path, is a separate visit with its own queue, and most of its rooms are seen from the doorway. Ask at the counter which ticket covers it.

Guided or on your own

Guided tours form at the entrance in order of arrival at no extra charge, and you can also go round without one. English groups run to a fixed schedule, so ask for the next start when you arrive; the last guided group of the day forms at a quarter past three.

After that you can still go round on your own until last entry. Take the first floor too if your ticket offers it: its rooms are worth the extra.

Tips

Use the toilets before you go in. There is no café or restaurant at the castle, only vending machines, so carry a snack and a drink.

Weekdays are quieter than weekends, and July and August are the busiest months. If the morning slips, arrive by three, before the last guided group forms.

Photos for personal use are allowed without flash, but selfie sticks and extra lighting are not, and filming or photography beyond that carries a fee. If you cannot get a slot, the outside and the terraces are free to see and photograph.