At the foot of the great Caraiman, in one of the best known tourist areas of the country, there lies BuÅŸteni town. Picturesque, quiet, with a special charm differentiating it from the other mountain resorts on Prahova Valley, BuÅŸteni will surely attract those who want to combine adventure and relaxation. A popular holiday destination for winter sport lovers, it is also visited in the warm season, when you can discover impressive monuments on sunny days. At BuÅŸteni you feel closer to nature; the ample perspective over the Bucegi, the mountain routes which take you to the attractions at the heart of the massif and the cable car which carries you to the Sphinx will make you fall in love with the wild sceneries and the calm which dominates the surroundings. In the resort, the architecture of the old buildings will win you over, along with the souvenir stands and the rustic atmosphere of the restaurants.

Cantacuzino Palace

The pearl of BuÅŸteni town and the main tourist attraction at the foot of the mountain is the Cantacuzino Palace, a symbol of neo-Romanian architecture at the beginning of the 20th century. At the end of a road surrounded by cypress trees and stately fir trees, the castle has carried the name of Prince Grigore Cantacuzino, also called The Nabob, throughout time. A politician holding many important functions and a great agrarian, he owned a immense fortune, comparable to that of the king’s; it is said that he was so rich that he wanted to cover the palace in golden coins, issuing a request to the National Bank to that effect.

At the shelter of the forest, situated in the middle of an immense park, with artesian wells and lakes, the castle stands out with its extremely valuable ornamentation elements, some of them unique in the country. Right at the entrance, the Cantacuzino’s coat of arms and the royal crown let you know that you are stepping into a princely residence. Although it was devastated during the communist regime, when the pieces of furniture, the paintings, the carpets and the decorative objects were stolen, you can still admire the stained glass made in Vienna, the vitrified ceramic floor, the Carrara marble staircase and the art-nouveau balustrade, the mosaic fireplaces or the sumptuous byzantine chandelier. The Reception Hall, the most beautiful room in the castle, reveals two unique galleries: the first consisting of 12 Cordoba leather paintings and portraying the most representative members of the Cantacuzino family and the second one displaying the coats of arms of the most important noble families in Romania. Upstairs, one of the rooms was dedicated to Queen Maria and furnished with pieces from the PeleÅŸ Castle; in the Transylvanian Room you will see the portraits of The Nabob’s wife and children. From the gallery situated at the upper level a generous panorama over BuÅŸteni opens, which is always watched over by the cross on the Caraiman.

By all appearances, Grigore Cantacuino wanted for everyone who went into the palace to know his value. The motifs on the decorations are symbols of power and prosperity, like the dragon on the floor tiles or the wheat ears on the wrought iron balustrade and the omnipresent family coat of arms, of course.

The yard also houses a hunting watch-tower and a wooden church built in the MaramureÅŸ style. Furthermore, on the lawn in from of the castle there is a restaurant where you can have dinner like the nobles in long ago. The great positioning, the elegance and the tastefulness of the domain make Cantacuzino Palace an emblematic monument, of priceless artistic value.

 

 

Caraiman Monastery

Up to Palanca Glade, the road is toilsome, going up in tight serpentines for approximately two kilometers. When you reach the yard of the Caraiman Monastery, your effort is rewarded with moments of complete peacefulness in a beautiful natural environment. The wooded rocks surround the halidom consisting of two churches and the cells of the monks. Between the two churches there is a fir tree split in half by the storm, on whose trunk it is said that Virgin Mary’s face appeared. Around the tree people raised wooden walls decorated with icons, turning the place into a small praying space for the believers. The new church, with immaculate walls, has a rich and recent painting and a beautifully decorated iconostasis. The yard is set up as a small household, where they grow rabbits, parrots, pheasants and peacocks, animals which particularly enchant the children. At the Caraiman Monastery you rediscover the joys of the simple life, you charge yourself with energy and you forget for a while about your everyday problems.

Another halidom worth seeing in BuÅŸteni is the Pricely Church in the center of the city, raised in 1889 at the wish of Carol I and Queen Elisabeth. Built from blocks of stone in the shape of a cross, it has two distinct steeples which make it visible from a distance. In the interior you can see the stained glass, massive oak furniture, original painting and the golden iconostasis, sculpted in Vienna. Simple, but unique in the landscape at the foot of the mountain, the church calls you to meditation and offers you the feeling of perfect harmony.

The 'Cezar Petrescu' Memorial Museum

The name of the Romanian writer Cezar Petrescu is related to BuÅŸteni. The author retreated here in two periods of his life, living in a house with traditional architecture, close to the outskirts of the city. The visitor will quickly observe Petrescu’s love for books and writing in the rooms of his house. The bookcases sum up to 10,000 volumes, but also newspaper and magazine collections. The author’s personal objects are kept in the museum, from the traditional furniture, Horea, CloÅŸca and CriÅŸan’s busts, ceramic dishes to his kettle and coffee set. Every corner of the house evokes the author’s personality and passions, so that in the end you will have a clearer picture of who Cezar Petrescu was. 

BuÅŸteni, the 'Gate of the Bucegi'

Many trails to the attractions in the mountain start from Buşteni, and this is why the resort is also called the 'Gate of the Bucegi'. Depending on your physical condition and your time, you can choose for shorter hikes, to Urlătoarea Waterfall, Valea Spumoasă and Gura Diham. But if you prefer longer tracks, we recommend you head to Jepii Mari, Jepii Mici, Piatra Arsă chalet or Omu Peak.

 

You can reach two symbols of the Bucegi by cable car, Babele (The Old Women) and the Sphinx. The rocky formations, unique in their shape started legends of all sorts.  For example, it is said that the Sphinx is the representation of a divinity from ancient times, its face with severe features being associated with power. Babele keep it company, a group of rocks considered to be altars raised for the earth, the sky, the sun and moon and the god Mars, according to the same legends. Not far from them, the Caraiman cross rises defiantly, a monument dedicated to the soldiers fallen in World War I. From this height (2291 meters), the mountain proves its greatness, revealing an overwhelming picture of the wild valleys.

In the warm season, you can organize picnics in the areas set up at BuÅŸteni, mountain trips with off-road cars and all-terrain vehicles or you can challenge your friends for some adrenaline in the adventure park in Zamora neighborhood. The brave can adventure on off road tracks with 4x4 cars or they can traverse the forest on a zip line. Don’t miss the climbing tracks, the climbing wall, the archery or paintball sessions. In winter, fun is at its peak on the ski tracks, where ski, snowboard and sleighing lovers gather.

 

BuÅŸteni is an oasis of relaxation at the foot of the Bucegi, a resort for those who are looking for a quiet place, fresh air and picturesque sceneries. Accompanied by the silhouette of the mighty Caraiman, you will discover a delightful corner of nature, perfect for a family weekend, but also for a long vacation to test your powers on the mountain tracks. 

[An article written by Andreea Bertea]