EHB 2017 Optional Trip

A FORTRESS AND TWO CASTLES IN ONE DAY !

Peles Castle, Rasnov Citadel and Bran Castle - The Famous Dracula's Castle

24 JUNE 2017, 8:40, Palace Hotel, SINAIA

Sinaia - Peles Castle - Rasnov Citadel - Bran (Dracula) Castle - Sinaia.


		1. PELES CASTLE Peleș Castle, built between 1873 and 1914, is one of the best-preserved royal palaces in Europe. Decorated with ornate stonework, sculpted wood, and stained-glass windows, the castle is at once charming and intimidating from its spot against the panoramic views of the Carpathian Mountains. King Carol I constructed this castle at the end of the 19th century as a summer home. Today, the fabulous structure serves as a museum, showing off a collection of artwork, armor, and weaponry. Explore the 160 rooms and the terrace gardens on a guided tour through the castle. This castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle (in the style of the German Renaissance, with Gothic elements) and was built on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia. One of the most memorable visits was that of Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Austro-Hungary in 1896. In recent times, many foreign leaders such as Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford spent time in the castle. http://peles.ro/
		2. RASNOV CITADEL Situated on the Brasov-Rucar-Campulung road, Rasnov Citadel is one of the best preserved rustic citadels from Transylvania. Rasnov Citadel was at first called “Rustic Citadel”, because the main occupation of its constructors was agriculture. The citadel was first mentioned in documents in 1335, when Burzenland was again ravaged by the Tartarian armies, except for two fortresses: Tampa and Rasnov. These two couldn’t be conquered.
		3. BRAN CASTLE: The Famous Dracula's Castle The strong but elegant Bran Castle, which dates back to 1377, is one of Romania’s top destinations. This is mainly because of its associations with Vlad Tepes, the son of Vlad Dracul, one of the most important landlords of Valachia. For the first two monetary emissions, Vlad used his emblem, the dragon, therefore, the Romanians whose word stock is mainly Latin, nicknamed him Dracul - Dracula (from Latin Draco - onis). In the Romanian language "Drac" means Devil, which mixed up the things even more. This nickname turned into surname for his descendants, Vlad, his son being known as such. Vlad Tepes ruled Valachia from 1456 to 1562 and nowadays he is known also as Price Dracula. There are many important places related to Vlad the Impeller, best known under the name of Count Dracula, but visiting them will not meant to be a scary horror trip, but a pleasant enjoyable walk through the history of Romania. Bran castle sits on the border of Transylvania and Wallachia and is open as a museum showing art and furniture collected by Queen Marie, who called the castle home in 1920. "We invite you to experience the history, the myth, the intrigue and the magic of this wonderful place and its Queen. We hope that you will carry the spirit that makes us love Bran Castle with you, always" (Dominic Habsburg) www.bran-castle.com

	This event is an optional trip for a special price for EHB 2017 participants: 200 lei / 45 euro or 150 lei / 35 euro for students and include: Travel Sinaia - Peles Castel - Rasnov Fortress - Bran - Bran Castle and back to Sinaia; Peles Castle Entrance. Includes the ground floor with historical spaces and first floor with rooms for royal guests; Rasnov Fortress Entrance; Bran (Dracula) Castle Entrance; Romanian Traditional Lunch. Expected duration: 10 hours. The costs for this trip have to be paid separately from the conference fee at the Registration Desk. Book your ticket HERE Details for all the cultural sights in the itinerary and others around Sinaia can be found HERE.