Tourist Attractions in Prahova County
Prahova County is known mostly for its resorts, as well as the Dealu Mare wine growing area.
Daniel Onea, 17.11.2016, 13:58
Prahova County is known mostly for its resorts, as well as the Dealu Mare wine growing area. It has spectacular scenery, castles, mansions and museums, such as the Crude Oil Museum and the Clock Museum, ancient monasteries, and a salt mine. The Clock Museum is unique in Europe. The building was erected in 1890 and has 4,000 exhibits, with timepieces of all kinds: sundials, water clocks, hourglasses, table clocks and grandfather clocks. The museum charts the evolution of timepieces from the 16th to the early 20th century.
Adrian Voican, head of the Association for the Promotion and Development of Prahova Tourism, believes that tourists should end a trip to Romania with a smile. The first thing that tourists notice when they come to Romania is that the people are open and welcoming, and this is a trait that makes Prahova special:
Adrian Voican: “Prahova is one of the most important tourist regions of Romania, alongside the area of Transylvania in terms of traditions, and the seaside, for people who want to sunbathe at the Black Sea. Prahova has a famous mountain area full of resorts, but most tourists from abroad want to visit the Peles and Pelisor royal retreats. In Campina we have the Iulia Hasdeu Museum and the Nicolae Grigorescu Museum. We also have the George Enescu House in Sinaia. These are interesting objectives, culturally and historically. Sinaia may well be the pearl of the Carpathian Mountains, or the local Bucegi Mountains. Historically, it is known as the retreat for Romanian royalty. It is authentic, as opposed to many other areas, which are more commercial. At any time of the year, the Wine Road is a must. We have major vineyards and wine cellars in Prahova County, such as Valea Calugareasca, Ceptura Tohani and Urlati. Red wine is the most important, with the Feteasca Neagra variety being an ambassador for the area. Health tourism has also taken off in Prahova. In Poiana Campina we have several salt springs, valuable for treatment. They are four times as salty as the water in Techirghiol lake, just to get an idea. You can have treatment here with medicinal mud from Techirghiol at any time of the year.”
Sinaia is a major business center, says Adrian Voican. It is the venue for international medical conferences with as many as 5,000 participants: “A lot has been invested in privately owned hotels to modernize them, as well as in infrastructure. The cable car to the Bucegi plateau was modernized last year. Beginning early this year, a second cable car has been running. We finalized modernizing the center of the resort, the result of two years of investment, it now looks like a western mountain resort. But let us talk about other places besides Sinaia. In Busteni you have to visit the Cantacuzino castle, an architectural jewel. Special concerts are being held here. There they host quite often artists from the Bolshoi Theater from Moscow. Near Azuga there is a five star hotel, quite close to the ski slope. We also have two and three star hotels in this resort, well known as a ski resort for kids. Prices for accommodation and skiing are quite affordable.”
In Campina, lets stop at a three star B&B. Elena Lamba, the owner, has been the host for plenty of tourists, a lot of them foreign, and she has put together a schedule for them, allowing them to take full advantage of the time spent in Prahova county. The B&B is at the foot of Muscel Hill, five minutes away from the Iulia Hasdeu mansion and the Nicolae Grigorescu Museum: “300 meters away we have a special area with tennis and badminton courts, football fields, playgrounds, and places where you can rent ATVs and bicycles. We also have a place where you can rent roller skates. Close by we have the Brazi church, a historical monument surrounded by greenery. We recommend going for a walk in the Valea Doftanei forest, and visiting Brebu Monastery, built by Romanian prince Matei Basarab.”
The area is booked nearly solid for Christmas and the New Years Eve. Of the almost 15,000 accommodation places on Prahova Valley, 90% have already been taken, says Adrian Voican. The area is famous among domestic and foreign tourists. They also have available information centers in Sinaia, Busteni, Azuga, Campina, and Breaza, with promotional materials and maps in several international languages: “You can find information on local attractions. For instance, in terms of food, in addition to the Wine Road we also have the Fruit Road, the Jam Road, and starting in September, in Brebu, we have the Chestnut Festival in Ploiesti. On Doftana Valley we have a cheese festival, and in Valenii de Munte we have a festival for homemade liquor. In Breaza we also have a Golf Festival. There is plenty to do in Prahova Valley in addition to skiing and winter sports. Mountain biking has really taken off here. In the summer, cable transportation carries cyclists, just as it carries skiers in the winter. In Breaza we also have workshops for traditional garb. The cities of Ploiesti and Sinaia, as well as many other places in the county, host many crafts fairs.”
This is a great destination for business, sports or leisure. It is a family destination for tourists all year round.
