Sinaia () is a town and a

mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or sceni ...

Prahova County Prahova County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploiești. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 762,886 and the population density was 161/k ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. It is situated in the historical region of

Muntenia Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the rarely used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in Ro ...

. The town was named after the

Sinaia Monastery The Sinaia Monastery, located in Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, was founded by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino in 1695 and named after the great Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt. As of 2005, it is inhabited by 13 Christian Orthod ...

of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after the

Biblical Mount Sinai Mount Sinai (, ''Har Sīnay'') is the mountain at which the Ten Commandments were given to the Prophets in Judaism, Hebrew prophet Moses by God in Judaism, God, according to the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. In the Book of ...

. King

Carol I of Romania Carol I or Charles I of Romania (born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; 20 April 1839 – ), was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (''Domnitor'') from 1866 to 1881, and as ...

also built his summer residence,

Peleș Castle Peleș Castle ( ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914 ...

, in Sinaia in the late nineteenth century. Sinaia is about northwest of

Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Ble ...

and south of

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

, in a mountainous area on the

Prahova River The Prahova is a river of Southern Romania, which rises from the Bucegi Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians. It is a left tributary of the Ialomița (river), Ialomița. It flows into the Ialomița in Dridu Snagov.Bucegi Mountains The Bucegi Mountains ( ) are located in central Romania, south of the city of Brașov. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains. At , ''Omu Peak, Omu'' is its highest point. To the east, the Bucegi Mountains ha ...

. The town's altitude varies between

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The city is a popular destination for hiking and winter sports, especially downhill skiing. Among the tourist landmarks, the most important are

Pelișor Castle The Pelișor Castle (Romanian: ''Castelul Pelișor'', , ) is a castle in Sinaia, Romania, part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleș. History The castle was built in 1899–1902 by order of King Carol I, as the residence for h ...

Sinaia Casino The Sinaia Casino () is located in "Dimitrie Ghica" park, Sinaia, Romania and was built at the initiative of King Carol I of Romania. Construction began in 1912 and was finished a year later. The work was supervised by architect Petre Antonescu, ...

Sinaia train station Sinaia railway station serves the Sinaia mountain resort in Romania. The first station was built in 1913 by the Demeter Cartner Company, and it was reserved exclusively for the King of Romania, Royal Family and its guests at Peleș Castle, general ...

, and the

Franz Joseph and Saint Anne Cliffs The Franz Joseph's Cliffs (Romanian language, Romanian: ''Stâncile lui Francisc Iosif'') are located in the Bucegi Mountains near Sinaia, Prahova Valley, Romania. They are situated in close proximity to the Royal Meadow, used often by former Rom ...

. Sinaia was also the summer residence of the Romanian composer

George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanians, Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, teacher and statesman. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history. Biography En ...

, who stayed at the

Luminiș The Luminiș Villa, George Enescu Memorial House is located in the Cumpătu district, the only suburb of Sinaia, Romania. The villa is situated on the right bank of Prahova River. It was owned by the Romanian composer and musician George Enescu ...

villa.

Climate

Sinaia has a warm-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfb'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

). Summers are bracing and very rainy at the beginning of the season. Winters are moderately cold, with heavy snow. A uniform layer of snow is deposited usually in November and it melts from March to April, sometimes at the beginning of May. The thickness of the snow layer varies between and in higher elevations. In recent years, Sinaia has felt the effects of global climate change.

Nature preservation

In the town of Sinaia and its surroundings restrictions are in place regarding cutting down or picking

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

. The felling of trees is not allowed. It is forbidden to pick any alpine plants. Severe punishments are enforced for anyone who gathers : the Mountain Peony (''Rhododendron Kotsky''),

Edelweiss ''Leontopodium nivale'', commonly called edelweiss () ( ; or ), is a mountain flower belonging to the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. The plant prefers rocky limestone places at about altitude. It is a non-toxic plant. Its leaves and f ...

(''Leontopodium alpinum''), and the Yellow Gentiana (''Gentiana lutea''). Tourist camping is only authorized in designated places, following necessary and compulsory protection standards. The mountainous area in which Sinaia is located is in the Bucegi Natural Park region. The Park covers a total area of , of which are under strict protection and contain natural monuments. The Bucegi Natural Preserve area includes all the most precipitous areas of the mountains Vârful cu Dor, Furnica, and Piatra Arsă. The mountainous area is continuously patrolled by mountain rescue patrols as well as by members of the Mountain Police. At the entrance to the Cumpătu district, one can find the “Sinaia alder-tree grove” botanical reservation placed under the protection of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

and the Bucharest Biology Institute. In the same district, there is also another ecological research station under the patronage of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

–

Jacques-Yves Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the A ...

, belonging to the

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...

, which also includes a museum of Bucegi Mountains fauna.

Tourist attractions

International Conference Center * Carmen Sylva Cultural Center *

Memorial House *

Dimitrie Ghica Dimitrie Ghica or Ghika (Albanian: Gjika) (; 31 May 1816 – 15 February 1897) was a Romanian politician. A prominent member of the Conservative Party, he served as Prime Minister between 1868 and 1870. Dimitrie Ghica was born in Buchares ...

park and the Bucegi Reserve Museum *Heroes Cemetery * Eagles of Freedom Plaza *

*Old electrical power plant * Sinaia railway station *Many other old villas *

Bucegi Mountains The Bucegi Mountains ( ) are located in central Romania, south of the city of Brașov. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains. At , ''Omu Peak, Omu'' is its highest point. To the east, the Bucegi Mountains ha ...

with a cable car connecting the resort with Cota 1,400 and Cota 2,000 *

Baiu Mountains The Baiu Mountains (, ) are mountains in central Romania, a few kilometers south of Brașov. Within traditional Romanian classification the Baiu Mountains belong to the Curvature Carpathians. According to the geological divisions of the Carp ...

*16 ski slopes *4 mountain-bike trails

Sinaia Forever Festival

Sinaia Forever, or the Autumn Festival, is one of the main festivals that takes place in Sinaia. The goal of the festival is to recreate the atmosphere of the 1940s while bringing in modern performers. The festival once took place during the last weekend of September, but was just recently changed to the first weekend of the month. During the festival, the downtown area of Sinaia is closed off to motorized vehicles. It becomes full of people, food stands, and children's rides. The three-day festival consists of the opening parade, concerts from well known musical artists of Romania, and amusement rides.

Eagles of Freedom Plaza

The Eagles of Freedom Plaza () is a square inaugurated in 2015, dedicated to honoring the memory of 378 American soldiers who lost their lives in

during World War II. At the heart of the plaza stands the ''Book of Americans'', a marble monument inscribed with the names of these fallen soldiers. Originally created in 1999, the monument was previously located on the outskirts of the Heroes Cemetery but has since been relocated to this new, more prominent site. A

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

is also present, honoring the heroic sacrifice of the American soldiers and celebrating the historic bonds of friendship between the Romanian and American people. The inauguration of the plaza was attended by Sinaia's Mayor, Vlad Oprea, the United States Defense Attaché to Romania, Colonel Paul T. Matier, and the Dutch Ambassador to

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel.

International relations

Sinaia is twinned with: *

Aosta Aosta ( , , ; ; , or ; or ) is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual Regions of Italy, region in the Italy, Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the G ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Cetinje Cetinje ( cnr-Cyrl, Цетиње, ) is a List of cities and towns in Montenegro, town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, prijestonica, приjестоница, separator=" / ") of Montenegro and is the location of sev ...

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

* Hod HaSharon,

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Cascais Cascais () is a town and municipality in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera, Estoril Coast. The municipality has a total of 214,158 inhabitants in an area of 97.40 km2. Cascais is an important tourism in Port ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Kuşadası Kuşadası () is a municipality and district of Aydın Province, Turkey. Its area is 265 km2, and its population is 130,835 (2022). It is a large resort town on the Aegean coast. Kuşadası is south of İzmir, and about west of Aydın. T ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Athis-Mons Athis-Mons () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Athégiens''. A small part of Orly International Airport lies on the territory of the commune of Athis-Mon ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Notable residents

Romanian Royal family The Romanian royal family () constitutes the Romanian subbranch of the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern (also known as the ''House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen''), and was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Romania, a constitutional ...

* Claudiu David

Gallery

File:Sinaia steam engine 230039.jpg, Steam engine in Sinaia File:Romania Sinaia city hall.jpg, City Hall File:Flickr - fusion-of-horizons - Sinaia Monastery (15).jpg,

File:Pelisor Castle (4).jpg,

File:Castelul Peles, Sinaia - Vedere panoramica.jpg,

File:Feb 1988 in Sinaia, Romania 3.jpg, Sinaia during winter, February 1988

References

{{Authority control Towns in Romania Populated places in Prahova County Prahova Valley Ski areas and resorts in Romania Localities in Muntenia