Cantacuzino Castle in Bușteni: a Neo-Romanian palace below the Bucegi

The "Nabob's" palace facing the mountains

Cantacuzino Castle (Castelul Cantacuzino) stands on a slope above the small town of Bușteni in the Prahova Valley, directly opposite the sheer cliffs of the Bucegi massif — Caraiman and Coștila. It was built in 1901–1911 for Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino to designs by the Romanian architect Grigore Cerchez. The owner came from the old boyar family of Cantacuzino, which traced its descent from Wallachian princes and the Byzantine emperors Kantakouzenos. He was twice mayor of Bucharest, a minister in several cabinets and Prime Minister of Romania in 1899–1900 and 1904–1907. Because of his immense wealth contemporaries called him "the Nabob"; he was a patron of the arts and built three great palaces — on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest (now the George Enescu National Museum), in Florești and this castle in Bușteni.

The building combines two Romanian styles — Neo-Romanian and Neo-Brâncovenesc. It is a quadrangle open to the south, with a built area of 3,148 square metres; the park covers 3.5 hectares and the whole estate about 1,000 hectares. Today the castle is open to visitors as a private cultural complex with an art gallery hosting temporary exhibitions. It became widely known after Netflix filmed the series Wednesday here, with the castle playing Nevermore Academy.

Why go

The castle's terrace and park give one of the best views of the Prahova Valley: right in front of you are the Bucegi cliffs and the Heroes' Cross on Caraiman. Inside are lavish aristocratic interiors of the early twentieth century in the national Romanian style, rarely seen on such a scale. The castle combines easily with Sinaia: it is less than 15 minutes by car from Peleș and about 40 km from Brașov.

What to see

• The ballroom with its heraldic collection — coats of arms of noble families related to the Cantacuzinos, according to the castle the only such collection in Romania.
• A frieze of twelve life-size portraits on Cordoba leather — illustrious members of the Wallachian branch of the Cantacuzino family.
• Interiors: Murano glass windows, stucco marble, Italian ceramics, coffered and painted ceilings, balustrades of oak, stone and wrought iron, bronze fittings cast in Paris.
• Fireplaces of Albești stone decorated with polychrome mosaics and gold leaf, and columns with Brâncovenesc ornament.
• The art gallery with temporary exhibitions.
• The park and terrace with fountains and views of Caraiman and Coștila.

Practical information

Address: Strada Zamorei nr. 1, 105500 Bușteni. Bușteni lies on the DN1 road between Sinaia and Brașov, about 100 km from Bucharest and 40 km from Brașov; from the Porubne — Siret border crossing via Brașov it is about 425 km. Trains on the Bucharest — Brașov line stop at Bușteni; from the station to the castle it is about a 20-minute walk uphill through the Zamora district. Hours: Monday to Thursday 10:00–19:00, Friday to Sunday 10:00–20:00. Tickets "castle + gallery + park": adult 85 lei, seniors and students 60 lei, children 13–18 45 lei, 5–12 40 lei; "castle + park" — 65 lei for adults; children under 5 and visitors with disabilities free. Tickets are sold on site and online on the castle's website. Phone: +40 373 811 415, e-mail: [email protected]. Prices and hours as of November 2026. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the castle, gallery and park.

Nearby

• The Heroes' Cross on Caraiman — a memorial at 2,291 m, visible from the castle terrace.
• Urlătoarea Waterfall — a short forest walk from the outskirts of Bușteni.
• Peleș Castle and Sinaia Monastery — 9 km down the valley.
• Caraiman peak and the Bucegi Plateau.

Official website: cantacuzinocastle.com

Photos: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Nenea hartia, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Stefan Jurca from Munich, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons; Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Nicubunu, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons.