Autumn on Prahova Valley

A perfect destination all year round.

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Daniel Onea, 27.09.2018, 12:22

The area is famous not only for its wonderful resorts, which are perfect tourist destinations all year round, but also for its special historical monuments, natural monuments and vineyards. Together with our guide, Anda Popa, who is the secretary general of the Association for the Promotion and Development of Tourism in Prahova County, we’ll be reviewing some of the reasons why a trip to Prahova Valley in autumn is a must.

The first stop in your trip to Prahova Valley should be in Sinaia, also known as the Pearl of the Carpathians, which is located 120 kms north of Bucharest, on the upper course of the Prahova River, at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains.

Anda Popa: “We are promoting our county at international level under the motto ‘Prahova, your royal holiday’, therefore my advice to you is to start by visiting the royal Peles Castle in Sinaia. The French daily Le Figaro put this castle on the list of top ten most beautiful castles in the world. It is a former residence of the Romanian kings in the 19th and 20th centuries. You’ll find there guides who speak English, French, Russian and other foreign languages, and all you have to do is ask for the right guide upon showing your admission ticket. The castle can be visited all year round, except for November when it is closed for cleaning.”

Next to the Peles Castle there is the Pelisor Castle, built in the German Renaissance style, with pinnacles covered in vividly-colored glazed roof tiles and with 70 rooms artistically decorated with original pieces as well as with replicas of the original ones, to recreate the atmosphere of the 1900s.

Next our guide will recommend us the natural beauties of Prahova Valley: “A marvel of the Bucegi plateau is the rock shaped liked a Sphinx, the energy center of the Carpathian Mountains. The Sphinx from Romania has the same height as that of Egypt, namely 8 meters, and is similar to the statue of Venus discovered in Italy. Access to the Bucegi plateau is possible from both Busteni and Sinaia resorts.”

Once on the Bucegi plateau, you should not miss the Cross on Caraiman Peak, which was built to honor the memory of the Romanian heroes. The Cross was inaugurated on September 14, 1928.

Anda Popa: “The Cross was registered in the Guinness Book of Records in 2014. It is the cross erected at the highest altitude in the world, namely 2,291 meters. It is 28 meters high, being in the top 19 highest crosses in the world, and, on sunny days, it is visible from Busteni resort.”

In late September, a 20-year old Wine Festival is held in Prahova Valley, when tourists can taste a famous Romanian wine, Fetesca Neagra, and can also visit the region’s wine cellars. Next Anda Popa will tell us about the main cellars on the Prahova wine route: “The Wine Route is open to tourists all year long. In autumn they will have the possibility to taste fresh must and also various wines, depending on the cellar they choose to visit. I recommend the area of Dealu Mare which is quite similar to the famous French region of Bordeaux. We have this program that takes tourists on a foray into the world of winemaking. They can visit the vineyard and the cellar, they can see the old and new instruments used for making wine and can also get to know a little about the history of Romanian wine. The wine route also includes a special mansion which provides a short history of the area.”

A last destination on Prahova Valley recommended by Anda Popa is the Slanic Salt Mine: “Slanic is the biggest salt mine in Europe. It covers more than 78 thousand square meters and has 14 areas open to visitors. Some of them are even 50 meters high. The salt mine can be visited all year long and for tourists from Bucharest it is within reach, as it is less than 100 kms away from the capital. Doftana Valley is another destination worth a visit. It boasts a special produce called cascavea, a sort of semi-hard cheese, to which a festival has been dedicated, which is usually held in September.”