Venturing to Transylvania, in the traffic on the Prahova Valley that connects the capital with Brașov, we discover the greatness of Cantacuzino Castle, also called Little Peles of Busteni. Located in the mountain resort of Busteni, at an altitude of 916 meters, we delight our souls with an amazing view of the valley full of history, but also of the Caraiman Massif and the Cross of the Nation's Heroes.
Cantacuzino Castle was built at the request of Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, nicknamed Nababul, an influential politician of the nineteenth century, son of the great ruler Grigore Cantacuzino and Luxandra Cretulescu.
Descendant of both the Romanian voivodes and a Byzantine noble family, he laid the foundations of three imposing palaces, namely: Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni, a second building that has its home on the old Calea Victoriei artery in Bucharest - now constituting the current National Museum "George Enescu" -, as well as the Cantacuzino Palace in Floresti or "Little Trianon" which, although identical in name to "Le Petit Trianon" in the garden of the Palace of Versailles, is indistinguishable from the latter, for that now the third creation of the Nabab has become a ruin.
As the two travelers need knowledge, curiosity leads us to enter the princely realm. It is imperative to mention that the princely domain greets us with a complete package of the tourist, consisting of a detailed visit of the castle, the art gallery, as well as a walk in the beautiful park. The opportunity to know the hair costs 40 lei, but if you opt, sparingly, only for a walk through the princely park, you will offer 12 lei. Also, if you choose the first option, you can join a 30-minute professional-guided tour, which is organized hourly.
After the first steps taken in the castle park, the remarkable view suddenly makes us think of Prince Nabab and the nobility of the 1800s, as a result of which we decide to give up temperance and visit what we thought was one of the most magnificent castles in Romania. The cobbled alleys lead us to the main entrances of the building, and the artesian wells, the artificial cave and the sculptures contribute to the creation of a fairytale setting.
Once it enters the setting, we find out that after almost any commercial exchange, the part that takes the buyer out of the mirage of the story. In other words, during the communist period, the original furniture was lost and the walls were no luckier, the Nabab dwelling functioning at one point as a sanatorium.
There are, however, decorations that I could see, brought back to life by restorers, as well as a few halls that remained untouched by the unfortunate period, including the Ballroom. Its greatness strikes you at first sight. Following the wooden staircase that leads to the lodges where the shows were admired, we find the heraldic collection, unique in Romania, which represents the coats of arms of the boyar families related to the Cantacuzino family, and on the other side are some paintings with family members. Upstairs, where the Art Gallery is currently located, you will find the former bedrooms of the cantacuzinos.
Decided to relax at the castle, we gave up once again our temperance and had lunch at the restaurant Canta Cuisine, a fine dining restaurant that is in the top of the most popular places in the Prahova Valley. It was a pleasant culinary experience, noting that the prices exceeded the average of the area.
So, for us, Cantacuzino Castle has made its place in the collection of the most beautiful memories in Romania.
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