The Most Beautiful Castles To Visit In Romania

If you landed here, you are surely wondering which are the most beautiful castles to visit in Romania.

While Romania is mostly known for Dracula’s Castle in Bram Stoker’s novel, there is so much more beyond this castle, which is actually called Bran Castle.

We are sure that this list of beautiful castles won’t disappoint and we hope that it will serve as inspiration for your coming trip to Romania.

Peles Castle

Peles Castle is one of the most important sites in Romania and one of the most beautiful castles one can visit here.

Due to its artistic and historical value, it is also one of the most important monuments in Europe.

It served as the summer residence of the Royal Family of Romania and was built between 1873 and 1914 as a result of the wish of King Carol I of Romania.

Currently, it serves as a museum after having been closed to the public during the communist regime in Romania. 

Pelisor

Pelisor Castle is part of the Peles Castle ensemble, thus its name is derived from it.

The castle was built at the order of King Carol I of Romania, to serve as the residence for the heir to the throne, the future King Ferdinand, and his consort, future Queen Marie.

Marie got involved in the process of building the castle, and her personal style is present in the smallest details. She insisted that Romanian architectural elements be included, such as niches particular to the area, dividing the space by using Brancovenesc style elements, maximizing the functionality of the space by separating the space horizontally.

She understood the necessity of including the national function in the royal residency and her caring nature towards the people, led to her being known later as the Queen of all Romanians.

The castle is particularly charming during spring when the nature surrounding it is in full bloom.

Corvin Castle

Corvin Castle is the medieval citadel of Hunedoara, and one of the most important gothic architecture monuments in Romania.

Built in the 15th century by Iancu de Hunedoara, ruler of Transylvania in the 1400s, with its imposing stature and beautiful gothic elements, it is considered one of the most beautiful castles in Europe, according to European Best Destinations.

Bran Castle

While we do insist that there is so much more beyond Dracula that Transylvania has to offer, you cannot miss this historic site, if you are in the area.

The castle dates back to 1377 and currently acts as a museum, displaying art and furniture, collected by Queen Marie, the last Queen of Romania and wife of King Ferdinand I of Romania.

You can also get to the castle for an after-hours tour. How about a private dinner with delicious traditional Romanian food, paired with the best Romanian wine, in the music room of the Queen? 

Get in touch if you want us to arrange a bespoke tour in Romania for you.

Castelul de Lut

Castelul de Lut, which means the Clay Castle in the Romanian language, while it might come as a surprise, it’s not actually a historic site, but an amusement park built in 2014, however, we couldn’t have left it out of this list.

With its charming architecture and the imposing Carpathians surrounding it, Castelul de Lut acts as a place for recreation for those who enjoy spending time outdoors and for families with children that still believe in fairies. 

In fact, the full name of the castle is Castelul de Lut Valea Zanelor, which means the Clay Castle – The Fairies Valley.

What makes this castle unique is that it was built by hand.

Cantacuzino Castle

Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni was built in 1911 at the request of Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino.

He acted as the Mayor of Bucharest and as a Minister at the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th century. 

After gaining his doctorate in law, he acted as a judge for the Bucharest court. He was so wealthy that he actually ordered the construction of 3 castles, all under the same name but in different areas of Romania.

Cantacuzino Castle is open to the public nowadays and acts as a museum, where you can witness the beautiful Neo Romanian architecture and imposing works of art, collected by the prince throughout his life.

It is also home to a restaurant and the property garden hosts a multitude of waterfalls, fountains, and a cave.

Surrounded by lush nature on a river valley and a short drive from Bucharest, Cantacuzino shouldn’t be missed, as it is one of the most beautiful castles to visit in Romania.

Banffy Castle

Banffy Castle in Bontida, Cluj, used to be known as the Versailles of Transylvania.

Blending Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical and Romantic styles, Banffy Castle took more than 400 years to build and reach its final shape.

Built between 1437 and 1890, it acted as the residence of the Hungarian Banffy Family.

After having been included in the World Monuments Watch’s top 100 most at-risk sites in the world, due to its advanced state of deterioration, in 2001 works started to rehabilitate the castle and today it is mostly known in Romania for hosting one of the largest music festivals, Electric Castle.

Jidvei Castle

Jidvei Castle is mostly known today for being the residence of the Jidvei winery, however, the actual name of the castle is Bethlen-Haller Castle.

It was built between 1560 and 1624, by Miklos Bethlen, the father of Transylvania’s Chancellor. 

The castles in the Loire Valley in France served as inspiration for building this castle and the purpose of it was purely recreation. 

Today the castle can be visited, both for its beauty and for spending the day in the garden, enjoying the view and tasting some of the best Romanian wines that carry the 9000 years of wine-making tradition of Romania.

The Bethlen family is a known noble family in Transylvania and their rich heritage is still standing today.

One of their property that acts as a guesthouse, is the perfect place to spend the night if you’re ever in the region.

While there are many more beautiful castles to visit in Romania, these are some of our favorite.

Are any of these on your bucket list?