Cantacuzino Castle

The castle was completed in 1911 for Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, a prime minister so wealthy he was nicknamed the Nabob, and it was built in the neo-Romanian style that was then being consciously developed as a national architecture: stone arcades, carved brackets, glazed loggias and heraldic detail drawn from Brâncovenesc models. The setting does most of the work, with terraces and gardens looking straight across the Prahova valley at the eastern wall of the Bucegi and the Caraiman cross above. Inside, a collection of Cantacuzino family heraldry and period rooms is open, and parts of the building have been used as filming locations, which has raised its profile considerably in recent years. The grounds include a cave grotto, a waterfall and walking paths, and the terrace café is the reason many visitors stay longer than the interiors would justify.

History

Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, nicknamed the Nabob, had the castle built on the site of an old family hunting lodge by the architect Grigore Cerchez, a leading figure of the Neo-Romanian style. The work took five years, and at its opening in 1911 the house already had electricity, sewerage and drinking water; it was the family's summer residence until 1930 and stayed theirs until 1948, later served as a sanatorium, and after restoration is open to the public (Wikipedia, Cantacuzino Castle).

Highlights

• The terrace view - the Bucegi wall and Caraiman cross across the valley.
• Neo-Romanian detail - arcades, carved stone and glazed loggias.
• The heraldry rooms - Cantacuzino family collections in the interiors.
• The grounds - grotto, small waterfall and garden paths.

When to go

Year-round; the castle looks best with snow on the Bucegi behind it, and autumn colour in the grounds is good. Weekends fill quickly since it is close to Bucharest. Book online in peak season to avoid a queue.

Good to know

The interiors are limited in extent and the visit is short; much of the ticket buys you the setting and the terrace. Film-location fame has pushed prices and crowds up. Some rooms are used for events and close without notice. Parking near the castle is tight and the walk up from Bușteni is steep.

Nearby

Peleș Castle is at Sinaia; the Bucegi cable car leaves from Bușteni below.

Key facts