Leaving Bucharest early in the morning, we head up into the Carpathian Mountains on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, in search of Peles Castle – built between 1873 and 1914 for the German King Carol I of Romania.
Btw, although Romania is the second poorest country in Europe after Bulgaria, it sells more Ferrari cars than anywhere else in Europe…
Because of its own power plant, Peles Castle was the first electrified castle in Europe…
The glass ceiling was able to be opened and closed thanks to an electric motor…
This grate in the floor is for the palace’s central heating that was installed in 1883…
This photo is of King Carol’s wife and child. When the baby died, Queen Elisabeth of Romania began writing children’s stories to help ease her grief – she wrote under the pseudonym of Carmen Sylva.
Behind this bookcase is a secret entrance/exit that King Carol used frequently when he wanted to escape visitors…
The castle even had an electric lift…
…and off to our next destination…
