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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.