Busteni, the Gateway to the Mountains
Located on the Prahova Valley and known especially among mountain lovers, Bușteni is a resort with a long tradition
Daniel Onea, 07.02.2024, 01:44
Located on the Prahova Valley and known especially among mountain lovers, Bușteni is a resort with a long tradition. It has, ski and snowboard slopes, mountain trails, but also unique tourist attractions. Among them, there are the Urlatoarea Waterfall, the Cross on Caraiman, or the Cantacuzino Castle, which became famous all over the world after it was used as the location of the TV series Wednesday. The well-deserved name, Gate of the Bucegi Mountains, born by this resort, comes from the fact that, starting from here, during the summer, you can get to know the mountains closely on no less than 200 trails. Together with our guest, Cristian Achim, from the National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion, we find out why we should not miss this holiday destination.
“In this period of the year, as in all periods, the city of Bușteni remains a very good tourist destination for both Romanian and foreign tourists. During the winter we have a ski slope and a Fun Park available, which can also be used in the summer. We have four mountain trails open for hiking right now. There are possibilities to practice lap skiing towards Gura Diham, on Valea Cerbului. At the same time, tourists also have cultural sights at their disposal, such as the Cantacuzino Castle, the Cezar Petrescu Museum. Then, various cultural activities are organized at the Aurel Stroe Cultural Center.”
In this quiet settlement at the foot of the mountains, you will surely notice with a simple walk the houses and villas with rustic architecture. They have porches provided with pillars, which support arches in the Brancovean style, and access stairs made of stone. The largest and most valuable monument of the resort, unique in the country, is the Cross of Heroes of the Nation, built between 1926-1927, under the care of Her Majesty, Queen Marie. The monument stands at an elevation of 2,291 meters, and is made of steel on a reinforced concrete plinth. The dimensions are impressive, 48 meters high and 14 meters wide. At night, when it is clear and the lamps that illuminate the monument are lit, tourists get a special view.”
Recently, the ski season was officially opened in Bușteni. The Kalinderu ski area is located at the foot of the Caraiman, and benefits from ski slopes for beginners and advanced skiers, but you will also find a toboggan run, says Cristian Achim, from the National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion.
“At the base of the Kalinderu slope, there are nine centers for renting sports equipment for the winter period, namely skis, snowboards and sledges. At the Kalinderu slope, there is also a toboggan run at the top of the Kalinderu 1 slope, and in the Fun Park there is a conveyor belt for beginner skiers. From there, in the Fun Park, after taking the beginners courses with authorized instructors, which are around 60 on the Kalinderu slope, you can also practice a bit more efficient skiing. Also at the base of the Kalinderu slope, there are around nine public food establishments, authorized by the Ministry of Tourism, and several small establishments where you can serve mulled wine or a dessert.”
Anyone who arrives in Bușteni can notice, in a thick forest of fir trees, the silhouette of a castle as if out of a fairy tale. The monument, built in Brancovean style, could compete with the much more famous castles on Valea Prahova, Peleș and Pelișor, from the neighboring resort of Sinaia. The castle belonged to the Cantacuzino family. It was built by nobleman Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, who was also called “The Nabob”, due to his wealth. The construction of the castle began in 1911 and lasted ten years. Recently, it has become famous all over the world, thanks to the fact that the first season of the series Wednesday, a series inspired by the story of the Addams family, was filmed here. Cristian Achim, from the National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion, returns to the microphone.
“Nothing that passes through the direction of a fantasy film can look like reality. The castle, however, has a rich history starting with the boyar Constantin Cantacuzino, who built this castle. It currently functions as a cultural objective. It has an extraordinarily beautiful performance hall with an excellent sound system, where classical music concerts are usually held, where famous names in Romania are featured in terms of opera and operetta. At the same time, the museum hosts various art galleries throughout the year, which are impressive. The park around Cantacuzino Castle can be on the same level as the park of Peleș Castle.”
In Bușteni, the month of February was always full of events, continues Cristian Achim. “Both at the Cantacuzino Museum and on the Kalinderu Slope, events are held every year. On the slope, the sports and skiing events are organized, respectively the Buștenarului Cup and the Bușteni City Days, and, at Cantacuzino Castle, the cultural ones are organized. Always, during the month of February, sports and cultural events are intertwined. Other events start to appear from March onwards, and we hope that winter will last somewhere until April, because it came very late last year, only at the end of December. Busteni is a dynamic city. We always look forward to being visited by both Romanian and foreign tourists. We have about 3,000 accommodation places in tourist establishments classified from one to five stars, catering establishments for tourism as well, classified, which meet all safety norms.”
To enjoy all that both the Bușteni resort and its surroundings can offer you, any visit should start at the Tourist Information Center.
“It is located right in the city center, and can provide professional information. In addition to information, the Busteni Tourist Information Center distributes leaflets, brochures with tourist attractions, but also with accommodation units, to make it a little easier to know both the destination and the tourist services. The tourist materials about Bușteni are in Romanian, French and English, and the Tourist Information Center has English-speaking staff. My invitation is for everyone to come to Bușteni, where they will feel safe and have an extraordinarily pleasant stay.”
The Bușteni resort is an ideal holiday destination regardless of the time of year. Thus, if you book your stay in time, you will benefit from attractive offers from both hoteliers and travel agencies.
