25 Garbovei Street

Sinaia, Prahova, Romania

There’s something of the earth-sky tension carried in the mountain villas architecture; gravity pulls towards the stone beneath the feet, while the tops of the mountains and trees look up at the blue. Villa Ghica is part of this binomial being anchored in a high stone foundation but the white walls are trying to get out of the decorative wood’s grip. It is quiet, there’s soft light and occasionally the rustling of leaves an dwater or bird’s fluttering their wings. The proximity of the forest translates into a gently sloping terrain with rich grass and shady trees; the villa is perched on a moderate ridge. The generous yard of 1050 sqm, guarded by imposing fir trees, is delimited by wooden fences that symbolically define the spaces, leaving the eye to freely pass through them towards the morning mist and the forest maze. The building has a slender figure despite being rather horizontal; the clean and bright outside has red-tiled chimneys that promise the warmth and comfort of stoves; indeed, the ground floor living room surprises with a spectacular fireplace with refined round lines.

The living room on the ground floor is partitioned by round arches and a decorative ceiling thus creating small elegant reception areas that are patiently waiting for guests’ tête-à-tête. The solid furniture does not weight you down, there’s history and discretion in it. The interiors are bright, with meticulously crafted solid wood pieces; it is the refined atmosphere of a space that was once part of the creative houses of the intellectual elite of the twentieth century.
A warm wooden staircase connects to the bedrooms on the attic floor; the wood nuance is also found in the carpentry of the doors but also in the kitchen furniture. Wonderful stoves with richly decorated tiles warm the night area, bringing not only warmth but also the necessary stories - the panoramic view of the Bucegi Mountains provides material and inspiration.
Activities and attractions in the area: •Pele? Castle (1873-1914) •?tirbey Castle / Sinaia Museum •Sinaia Casino •Sinaia Monastery (1690) with a painting by Pârvu Mutu Zugravul and the tomb of the politician Tache Ionescu •Sinaia Monastery Museum, the first museum of religious art in Romania with paintings and icons, over 500 volumes of old books, antique furniture and church art. •Arinis Reservation that protects and conserves arboreal species, including the white alder (alnus incana). •Sinaia Railway Museum inside Sinaia Station •Palace-Villa “Alina ?tirbei Florescu” •Narcissus Meadow, Rea Valley •Starting point for Ialomicioarei Cave and Ialomi?a Monastery (wooden church, 16th century) •Mountain routes to Zanoagei Gorges, Omu Peak, Caraiman Cross, Dor Peak, Izvorul Dorului Valley, Jepii Mari, Jepii Mici •Slopes: Valea Soarelui, Valea Dorului, Papagal, Laptici, Valea Dorului, Cota 2000, Malaxa, Vânturile, Poiana Stânii, Furnica, Popicarie, Vânturi?, Târle, Scândurari