"Sinaia, the first town I have visited..." Top 5 Page for this destination Sinaia by monica71

Sinaia Travel Guide: 168 reviews and 565 photos

I was only 5 months old when my parents took me to my "first trip" to Sinaia. We always laugh when we talk about it since really my first visit to the city was when my mom was 4 months pregnant with me. The second trip was when my mom was 7 months pregnant and my dad had to go all over the town to get things that my mom was craving to eat at odd hours. They are still calling me "the family troublemaker" every time they are kidding around and they want to give me a hard time :)

Sinaia, a mountain resort on the Prahova Valley, is a town very dear to me. The town was named after Sinaia Monastery, around which it was built. The monastery in turn was named after the Biblical Mount Sinai. King Carol I of Romania built his summer home, Peles Castle, near the town, so make sure you check it out if you happen to be in Sinaia.

When I was living in Romania I used to come to Sinaia at least 7-8 times a year. Sinaia is very close to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It is easily reached by car or by train. When I was in high school and in college, I used to just take the train in the morning, go to Sinaia, take the Cable Car to Cota 2000, spend few hours here and come back home around 8:30pm in the evening. I can not count how many weekends my brother and I woke up early in the morning and decided to go to Sinaia because we just felt like it and because the weather was too perfect to be stuck in Bucharest for a whole day!

Sinaia is a popular destination for hiking and winter sports, especially downhill skiing. It was also the summer residence of the great Romanian composer George Enescu, who stayed at the Luminis villa.

Getting around the town is easy: by foot or by car/taxi. The town is best explored by foot. If you do not have time, get a cab to take you around the city.

Accommodations are plentiful and easy to find, but if you are looking for a cheap and clean room, nothing fancy though, check out the numerous Pensions located all over town.
Restaurants are all over the town, therefore you should not have a problem getting something to eat.
Make sure you try the Romanian donuts (gogosi). They come plain and they are called "gogosi" or stuffed with cheese and called "langosi".

View of Sinaia from the cable car

So if you are in town, make sure you check the following places:
1. Peles Castle and Pelisor Castle
2. Sinaia Monastery
3. the Old Sinaia Train Station
4. take a peek at Franz Joseph Cliff and Saint Anne Cliff
5. do some hiking at Varful Cu Dor, Furnica and Piatra Arsa
6. take the cable car to Cota 1400, stop here to explore the area and then hop on the second cable car to Cota 2000
7. George Enescu House
8. Ghica Park
9. Bucegi Reservation Museum
10. Sinaia Casino

Pros and Cons

Pros:a gem that offers peace and quiet and it is close to Bucharest
Cons:crowded on weekends and you can not do all the "must do and see" in just 1 day
In a nutshell:very nice getaway with lots of things to do

Last visit to Sinaia: Sep 2005
Intro Updated Mar 19, 2008
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Reviews (20)

George Enescu House Things to Do (7)

George Enescu, one of the greatest Romanian composers of all times, was a favorite of Queen Elisabeta. She noticed... more travel advice

Prahova Valley from Franz Joseph Cliffs - Sinaia

Franz Joseph Cliffs and Saint Anne... Things to Do (7)

Franz Joseph Cliffs are located near the Sheepfold Meadow, just outside Sinaia. There are stairs and railings that help... more travel advice

Sinaia Monastery Things to Do (7)

Sinaia Monastery was founded by Prince Mihai Cantacuzino in 1695 and named after the great Sinai Monastery on Mount... more travel advice

Pelisor Castle (Little Peles) Things to Do (7)

Pelisor Castle is almost adjacent to Peles Castle. King Ferdinand, who succeeded Carol I, intended to use Peles Castle... more travel advice

Hotels (5)
See All Hotels in Sinaia
Sports & Outdoors (3)
See All Skiing in the mountains
What to Pack (1)
don't forget your sunscreen lotion and a...

Comments (4)

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mciril Aug 21, 2009 at 4:59 AM

Monica, I plan to visit Sinaia next weekend and your tips are exactly what I was looking for. So thank you very much!
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planxty Jul 2, 2009 at 9:45 AM

Hi Monica, this is a wonderful page on Sinaia and very helpful. Perhaps I can visit some day. fergy.
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deecat Feb 11, 2009 at 4:37 PM

A very informative page. Excellent warning tip. I especially enjoyed reading about Pelas Castle, Enescu House, Sinaia Monastery, and the cliffs. Bravo to you!
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codrutz Apr 8, 2008 at 1:57 PM

Very informative, documented and accurate