Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Culture Corner: Romania - The Castles

 This is Part II of my photo post on my family's vacation to Romania this summer.  (Part I is here.)  This time around, castle, of which Romania is not lacking.


1. We'll start with a minor castle—one of many gypsy palaces we saw, in fact. A unique contributor to Romanian culture, it never grew tiring seeing their colors and panache.  The horse and buggy are a major contrast to the home (and the Porsche and Land Rover just out of view).

2. This is Corvin's Castle. Unlike most castles I've been to, visitors to Corvin have access to the majority of the grounds. Set in a picturesque place (and secure from barbarians), it was a nice afternoon of exploring knights and ladies (and torture).

3. Bran Castle—likely the most famous castle in Romania (but as you'll see, not the most extravagant). Again, access here was extensive, and having been occupied by royalty just years ago, is in excellent condition.

4. I knew going to Romania we were going to visit a few castles. I've seen a fair few in Europe, and while still interested, have trouble getting genuinely interested. Peles was mind-blowing. I've not been to Versaille, but I imagine that Peles is something of a first cousin. Extravagance the name of the game, everything here is measured in millions of dollars and thousands upon thousands of hours of artisanal work. My jaw was hanging open the entire time. Glad we did not let the two-hour traffic jam prevent us from seeing this.

5. Gratuitous, ok—but just a taste of the entryway.    

6. The arms room—some pieces which are truly priceless.

7. The dining room—truly for a king.

8. One of the many sitting rooms—each with their own theme.

9. View from the gardens... Peles is a stunning place.

10. And lastly a view from inside our moving castle—last day in the camper from one of our many random roadside campsites

No comments:

Post a Comment