PRAHOVA VALLEY

From the height of the terrace on which Campina city is places, the road descends some serpentines in Prahova valley, passing trough some localities Breaza –dominated at east by soft hills covered by meadows and forests, known especially because of the beauty of the folk clothing- the embroidered peasant blouse, embroidered on floss silk sail, and these products are realized by the women from Breaza and environs, and were really successful at the exhibits organized outside the country, highly asked for export.

Comarnic- after Breazu, the road descends again trough a series of abrupt serpentines in Prahova Valley, locality documentary attested even from XV century, its inhabitants were transporting goods on the toilsome road of Prahova. The national highway leaves Comarnic and starts climbing to Posada. The modern highway, especially after passing trough Posada, offers an amazing landscape of the defile trough which the river is filter and of the Bucegi mountains- Vanturis and Varul cu dor appear at the horizon to north-west.

After Posada (not to confuse with Posada, victory of Basarab Voievod in 1300, settled somewhere on the waters or Dambovita or Arges) the road descends again in Prahova valley and passes on the western shore entering Sinaia. The district trough which is made the entrance is the oldest in the city. Its name is Izvor and was the first laic permanent settlement from the superior valley of Prahova, founded in 1782-1784 by the 24 “scutelnici”( countrymen in middle ages, that in change of an additional obligation to the leader was exonerated from paying some debts) given by Mihai Sutu leader to Sinaia monastery.

After the passing of Iancu valley, somewhere at the beginning of the XVIII was named inn (Iancu’s inn) and where nowadays is a balneal sanatorium, we enter in the newest district of Sinaia, the one that  brought the name of “The Pearl of Carpathians”. Spread on the last ramps of Furnica mountains (2102), Sinaia resort developed in the second part of the last century when the king Carol I chosen this place as summer residence and built Peles castle (1875-1883). Sinaia become a resort for cure and repose, that hosts its tourists in villas (spread from 800m until 950m) having restaurants, clubs and balneal installations that use the mineral waters from Cainelui and Rea valleys, sulfuric waters similar to those from Caciulata. Besides Peles, transformed into museum and Sinaia monastery, founded in 1695 by Mihail Cantacuzino (valuable monument in brancovenian style), Sinaia offers to its visitors amazing trips. The numerous paths climb to the heights of Bucegi where one can meet Alpin Hotel and 1400 altitude. From Alpin Hotel it can be reached to Valea cu Brazi and than to the chalet from Varful cu Dor.

Those who are not used to the trips on the mountains can use the funicular built in 1962 that climbs from Hotel Alpin (1430m altitude) to under Furnica peak (2000m altitude). We mention that Sinaia is also an important centre for ski, and the tourists can at their disposal Furnica and Schiori chalets.

After passing Valea Babei, the highway enters Poiana Tapului, a small climacteric resort belonging to Busteni and dominated by the abrupt cliffs of Jnepenii Mari mountains (2075m.) and Jnepeinii Mici (2145m.) mountains. From the park a path climbs on Urlatoarea Mare valley to the waterfall Urlatoarea frumoasa.
Between Poiana Tapului and Busteni, Prahova valley is larger, being bordered on the eastern shore by a glade were the villas of Zamora (that has the name of the mountain that dominates it) district are spread. Contrary, to west, the abrupt of Bucegi becomes imposing, following two massive mountains with impressing walls Caraiman (2325m. altitude) and Costila (2489m. altitude). In XVII century, at their foots was a fortified inn that was replaced by the nowadays town Busteni, another famous resort of Prahova Valley. Settled at the foot of the most beautiful mountains from the this area, Busteni resort is an important place for the itineraries that leave from here and cross all the directions of this massive that was the nest of mountainous tourism and of our alpinism.

Main centre of alpine activity, Busteni resort is also a centre for ski.

The road goes trough Garbovei ( to east) and Dihmanului (to west) mountains and we reach to Azuga, locality developed on the glades named in the past “Luncile intre Prahova” ( the meadows between Prahova) and even the locality was named “Intre Prahova”, being settled between Prahovioara brook that descends from Predeal and Azuga brook with provenance from Fata Gavanei mountain. These brooks are actually the sources of the river that from Azuga downstream is named Prahova.

Predeal (1033m.altitude) – the chain of the climacteric localities on the superior valley of Prahova is closed by Predeal, set at a pit where the road passes from the southern versant of Carpathians on the northern, which has a little more than 1000m. This altitude makes Predeal the highest urban settlement from Romania; it also has the highest railway.

The discovery of a deposit of “bronze chopper” on the town’s territory proves that the gorge of Predeal and Prahova was a connection road and economical exchange between Transylvania and Muntenia back to Bronze Age.

Today Predeal is famous as a resort of great attractiveness and a highly appreciated ski centre, since it offers a soft dry climate, large views, of a great beauty and numerous places for easy trips. Trei Brazi, Poiana Secuilor, Clabucet-parcare, Grbova and Susai chalets where it can be reached in an hour, an hour and a half of walk, the chalets from Diham, the excursions that can be done on Bucegi, on Piatra Mare or Postavaru are part of Predeal’s attractions, as the ski tracks from Clabucet and Cioplea with funiculars.

PHOTOS FROM SINAIA ( COTA 2000 )

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