Bucharest & Sinaia: Luxury, Peleș Castle, Therme

About the destination: Sinaia is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai. King Carol I of Romania built his summer home, Peleș Castle, near the town in the late nineteenth century. Sinaia is about 65 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of Ploiești and 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Brașov, in a mountainous area on the Prahova River valley, just east of the Bucegi Mountains. The town's altitude varies between 767 to 860 metres (2,516 to 2,822 feet) above sea level. The city is a popular destination for hiking and winter sports, especially downhill skiing. Among the tourist landmarks, the most important are Peleș Castle, Pelișor Castle, Sinaia Monastery, Sinaia Casino, Sinaia train station, and the Franz Joseph and Saint Anne Cliffs. Sinaia was also the summer residence of the Romanian composer George Enescu, who stayed at the Luminiș villa.

About the destination: Bucharest is a really beautiful city, featuring impossible mixture of different architecture styles; one can see Gothic and Greek Orthodox constructions alongside Stalinist monuments neighbouring post-modern apartment buildings of concrete and glass. Unlike other cities, the street structure is not square-parallel, but rather star-like, so streets go like star beams from round circuses, thus forming blocks of different shapes. During the 50's, Bucharest was known as Little Paris because of the French influence on the landscape and lifestyle of Bucharest. Traces of this period remain in the architecture of the city centre, in the profusion of outdoor cafes, and even in the Arcul de Triumf, a modest replica of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. Downtown of Bucharest is comprised by the space between the Victoriei Square, where the Romanian Government is and the Unirii Square, where the grand boulevard that leads to the Parliament Palace, starts. Near Unirii Square there is also the old city centre, the Old Princely Court and iconic streets like Lipscani, Selari, Covaci, Gabroveni are situated. The area today contains an assortment of middle 19th century buildings, ruins of the Wallachian princes' medieval court, churches, bank headquarters, a few hotels, clubs, restaurants and shops. Narrow cobblestoned streets retain the names of the ancient guilds that resided on them. The area was mostly renovated and is now a place of gathering for the young generation of the city. Revolution square is a double square that houses the Romanian Athenaeum, the National Library, the Senate building and the old Royal Palace that is now the Museum of Art. There is a tall monument in the centre of the square in memory of those who died during the revolution. Bucharest is a city of parks. Wander through well-groomed central Cişmigiu Garden or huge Herăstrău Park. For the Bucharesters, they’re not just refuges from the summer heat, but focal poits for much of the city’s social life. Elderly pensioners, young lovers, football fans, and backgammon and chess whizzes are everywhere. Come join the fun.