Sinaia
Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai. King Carol I of Romania built his summer home, Peleș Castle, near the town in the late nineteenth century. Sinaia is about northwest of Ploiești and south of Brașov, in a mountainous area on the Prahova River valley, just east of the Bucegi Mountains. The town's altitude varies between above sea  level. The city is a popular destination for hiking and winter sports, especially downhill skiing. Among the tourist landmarks, the most important are Peleș Castle, Pelișor Castle, Sinaia Monastery, Sinaia Casino, Sinaia train station, and the Franz Joseph and Saint Anne Cliffs. Sinaia was also the summer residence of the Romanian composer George Enescu, who stayed at the Luminiș villa. Climate. Sinaia has a warm-summer humid continental climate ("Dfb" in the Köppen climate classification). The climate is a characteristic of low-altitude mountain passes. Annual average temperature: Average temperature in June: Average temperature in January: . Summers are bracing and  very rainy at the beginning of the season. Winters are relatively mild, with heavy snow. Average annual rainfall is . The maximum monthly registered rainfall was in June (173 mm). The minimum rainfall was recorded in September and February . A uniform layer of snow is deposited usually in November and it melts from March to April, sometimes at the beginning of May. The thickness of the snow layer varies between and in higher elevations. In recent years, Sinaia has felt the effects of global climate change – change that has meant shorter summers, with temperatures frequently over , a slight reduction in the  length of spring and autumn, and relatively longer winters (end of October – beginning of May), colder winters with entire weeks dominated by frost and numerous blizzards. Natural cure factors. Proponents claim that Sinaia has a refreshing and stimulating climate that is beneficial to the human body. There are also some mineral springs in Câinelui Valley that have sulphur-ferric mineral water and contain other soluble minerals. Nature preservation. In the town of Sinaia and its surroundings restrictions are in place regarding cutting down or picking flora. The felling of trees is not allowed. It is forbidden to pick any alpine  plants. Severe punishments are enforced for anyone who gathers : the Mountain Peony ("Rhododendron Kotsky"), Edelweiss ("Leontopodium alpinum"), and the Yellow Gentiana ("Gentiana lutea"). Tourist camping is only authorized in designated places, following necessary and compulsory protection standards. The mountainous area in which Sinaia is located is in the Bucegi Natural Park region. The Park covers a total area of , of which are under strict protection and contain natural monuments. The Bucegi Natural Preserve area includes all the most precipitous areas of the mountains Vârful cu Dor, Furnica, and Piatra Arsă. The mountainous area is continuously patrolled by mountain rescue patrols  as well as by members of the Mountain Police. At the entrance to the Cumpătu district, one can find the “Sinaia alder-tree grove” botanical reservation placed under the protection of the Romanian Academy and the Bucharest Biology Institute. In the same district, there is also another ecological research station under the patronage of UNESCO – Jacques-Yves Cousteau, belonging to the University of Bucharest, which also includes a museum of Bucegi Mountains fauna. Sinaia Forever Festival. Sinaia Forever, or the Autumn Festival, is one of the main festivals that takes place in Sinaia. The goal of the festival is to  recreate the atmosphere of the 1940s while bringing in modern performers. The festival once took place during the last weekend of September, but was just recently changed to the first weekend of the month. During the festival, the downtown area of Sinaia is closed off to motorized vehicles. It becomes full of people, food stands, and children's rides. The three-day festival consists of the opening parade, concerts from well known musical artists of Romania, and amusement rides. International relations. Sinaia is twinned with: