Sinaia - Pearl of the Carpathians

Valea Prahovei (Prahova Valley) is one of the most beautiful tourist areas of Romania, continuously attracting a high number of Romanian and foreign tourists. The mountain sights are seen on both sides of this valley. It should suffice to tell you of the panorama of Bucegi Mountains which can be seen from Buşteni town. Along Prahova Valley, lie attractive mountain resorts like: Predeal, Azuga, Buşteni, and Sinaia.
By travelling to Sinaia, the first resort welcoming us to Prahova Valley is Predeal. Being the town located at the highest altitude in Romania, it is the favourite place for trekking and mountain sports.
We continue with Azuga, also known as „the skiers' paradise" where you can find the longest ski slope in Romania. When reaching Buşteni - "the gateway to Bucegi Mountains" - we are blessed by the National Heroes' Cross found on Caraiman Mountain, a monument built to honour the Romanian soldiers who died in the First World War, built in 1928, at the initiative of Queen Mary.
By continuing our route, we reach Sinaia. The resort is a large amphitheatre at the foot of Bucegi Mountains. Due to an impressive landscape, Sinaia, also known as "Pearl of the Carpathians", is a luxury holiday destination.
The town was formed around Sinaia Monastery (1695), founded by spatharus Mihai Cantacuzino, after a pilgrimage to the saint places (Mount Sinai). Sinaia Monastery, "Cathedral of Carpathians", located in a dreamy scenery, represents the historical identity of the town, being the first construction in this territory.

The pilgrim reaching Sinaia Monastery finds apart from three hundred years of history a real museum of Romanian art and spirituality. The development of Sinaia as a tourist resort has increased starting with the second half of the 19th century, subsequent to building the road between Sinaia and Braşov (1847), the railroad between Bucureşti and Sinaia (1879), and especially to building between 1875 and 1883 Peleş Castle (the royal family summer residence) by the first Romanian King, Carol I Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.
It is impressive that numerous tourist tracks leading to the mountains are originated in Sinaia. We should especially mention the tracks to Bucegi Mountains, well-known for their beauty. Thus, we reach Bucegi plateau, and the panorama over Prahova Valley and Ialomiţa Valley is fascinating and incredible.