Things to Do in Sinaia

October 31, 2026

Sinaia is a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania, spread over the forested slopes of the Prahova valley at roughly 767 to 1,055 m. It is known as the Pearl of the Carpathians, and a stay here mixes royal castles, a cable car to the Bucegi plateau and a handful of small museums. Prices are in Romanian lei (RON).

Peleș and Pelișor castles

Peleș was the summer palace of King Carol I, built between 1873 and 1914 in Neo-Renaissance style, and it was the first European palace powered by locally produced electricity. On the tour you see the Hall of Honor with its carved walnut and stained-glass skylight, the Arms Room with more than 4,000 historical weapons and the Royal Library with its secret door. A ground and first floor ticket is 100 lei for an adult. Pelișor, built in 1899 to 1902 for Crown Prince Ferdinand and Queen Marie, is Art Nouveau, and its Golden Chamber is lined with gilded sycamore. An adult ticket is 30 lei.

Both castles open Wednesday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Thursday to Sunday from 09:15 to 17:00. They are closed every Monday and Tuesday, whatever some resellers say. Tickets are timed, cannot be rescheduled and are sold at bilete.peles.ro or at the SelfPay stations. In 2026 Pelișor is closed from 28 September to 3 November and Peleș from 2 November to 1 December, and closure dates are set each year, so check peles.ro before you plan around either one. The grounds stay open to walk.

Cable cars to the Bucegi plateau

The Telecabina Sinaia runs from the town centre to Cota 1400, and the Gondola Carp continues from Cota 1400 to Cota 2000. Both run in the daytime and stop in wind, fog or frost. The newer gondola section between Cota 1000 and Cota 1400 has been closed to the public since early September 2026 with no reopening date, so the older telecabina carries everyone and queues are long on fine weekends. Check sinaiago.ro for the day’s status.

Hiking from Cota 2000

From the top station, marked trails lead across the plateau to Babele at 2,216 m, the Sphinx rock formation and Omu Peak at 2,505 m. The weather is exposed: strong wind, sudden fog and summer thunderstorms with lightning risk on open ridges. Wear closed hiking boots, carry a waterproof windbreaker and confirm the last lift down before you set off.

Sinaia Monastery and the Casino

Sinaia Monastery was founded in 1695 by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino after a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai, and the town takes its name from it. The Old Church dates from 1695 and the Great Church from the 1840s. Dress modestly. The Casino in Dimitrie Ghica Park was built in 1912 and 1913 and is now a conference centre, so it is visited on a guided tour, hourly from 10:15 with the last at 17:15. Details are at casino-sinaia.ro.

George Enescu Memorial House

Villa Luminiș in the Cumpătu quarter, at 2 Yehudi Menuhin Street, was the composer’s home and displays his Ibach piano, rooms of documents and a bust by Ion Irimescu. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, about 09:00 to 16:00, and closed on Monday.

Skiing

The Sinaia ski area around Cota 1400 and Cota 2000 normally opens in winter once there is enough snow, with the pistes Valea Dorului, Valea Soarelui and Lăptici. Opening dates change every year, and skiers may depend on the telecabina to reach the slopes.

Bears

Brown bears come into the edges of Sinaia and onto the Cota 1400 road. Feeding them is illegal, with fines of 10,000 to 30,000 lei. Never feed, approach or photograph a bear up close, keep food and rubbish away from open windows, stay inside a car if a bear is on the road and phone 112 if one is in a built-up area. On forest trails, talk or whistle as you walk and avoid dusk and night.

Booking

You can compare guided options on GetYourGuide , buy castle tickets at bilete.peles.ro and read opening hours at peles.ro . Romania is rated Level 1, normal precautions, by the US State Department.