Sinaia

Where to shoot

• Peleș Castle — the royal palace commissioned by Carol I in the 1870s, with a carved walnut staircase and one of Europe's better arms collections.
• Pelișor Castle — Queen Marie's smaller Art Nouveau residence a few minutes uphill, on a separate ticket and worth both.
• Sinaia Monastery — founded in 1695 after a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai, the origin of the town's name, with a quiet walled courtyard.
• The Bucegi cable car — two stages up to Cota 1400 and Cota 2000, with a ridge walk between them on a clear day.

When to go

Late September through October for the beech colour, but avoid the first month of November if you want to see inside Peleș — it closes for conservation then.

What to eat

Look for tochitură (a pork stew served with polenta and a fried egg) or bulz — polenta baked with cheese and bacon — at the restaurants along the main street; it is mountain food, and it suits the weather.

Where to stay

Near the monastery end of town, which puts you between the castles and the cable car rather than at the station end.