Prahova County offers numerous experiences for both Romanian and foreign tourists, both in summer and winter, as it boasts 24 ski slopes, over 20 wineries, famous castles and locations with the highest number of sunny days per year or with waters as salty as the Dead Sea, even though the road to the mountains is often a nightmare due to traffic.

According to Anda Popa, secretary-general of the Prahova Tourism Promotion and Development Association (APDT), when traveling, what matters is what you find at the destination, not the road. Traffic is currently the only obstacle that might discourage tourists from visiting the county, which has over 1,100 classified accommodation units, ranging from bungalows to five-star hotels.

'If we talk about winter, tourists can come to our resorts for winter sports. We have over 22 slopes in Sinaia and Azuga, and two slopes in Busteni. If we talk about spring, summer, or autumn, tourists can come for hiking, cycling, or mountain biking, as well as for spa tourism at Poiana Campina and Hotel Mara in Sinaia, for business tourism, for pools and spas. Also, in the Dealul Mare area, known as the 'Homeland of Red Wines,' we have over 20 wineries where tourists can learn how wine is produced and how to pair it with food, taste Feteasca Neagra, the ambassador of Romanian wines, and in the mountain area, in Azuga, they can try sparkling wine from Rhein Cellars, the supplier to the Royal House,' Anda Popa told AGERPRES.

According to the APDT representative, the attractions in Prahova do not end here, as the area is home to some representative museums for Romania: Peles Castle, Cantacuzino Castle, Iulia Hasdeu Castle and the Memorial Museums of George Enescu and Nicolae Grigorescu.

'We have Peles Castle, which made the city of Sinaia come to light, and practically, all the development there started from it, with the vision of the king. When the castle was built, the entertainment part was also created, such as the Sinaia Casino, where guests could entertain themselves and, in a way, use some of their wealth there, and thus the accommodation sector developed as well. We have hotels dating from that time, which preserve the atmosphere of that era. There are many beautiful historical buildings in Sinaia that can be visited, some of which have even been turned into accommodation units where you can go back to that era. If we talk about Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni, it has been refurbished in recent years, and it constantly refreshes its exhibition space in the museum. Tourists are invited to return. Cantacuzino Castle was also a filming location for the Netflix series 'Wednesday'. It brought notoriety to the area, and there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to the castle. Now, they even have a small part of the atmosphere from the series, a 'Room of Secrets,' which is particularly sought after by young people,' said Anda Popa.

She also mentioned Iulia Hasdeu Castle, built by the great scholar Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu in memory of his daughter, who died at only 19 years old, and which contains many elements of spiritualism and mysticism worth exploring.

Last but not least, the APDT Prahova representative highlighted the Sanconfind Medical Centre in Poiana Campina, which was built on a saltwater spring with salinity similar to the Dead Sea, and which has therapeutic properties. Campina is also known as the locality with the most sunny days per year. 'These hydrotherapy treatments are done under the guidance of doctors and specialists there, and a 10-day treatment can work wonders. The centre has all kinds of robots that help people walk, and they have worked miracles as well, but these miracles happen with people, equipment, and the vision of a local who invested and believed that an area with natural resources could be developed and transformed into what it is today. Since 2015, the centre has developed over 20 medical specialties, including obstetrics and gynecology and maternity. This means that babies are born here, but certain health conditions are also treated for those who, over time, begin to lose their health,' she explained.

Another reference location in Prahova is the town of Breaza, where locals still hand-sew traditional Romanian blouses, and tourists can not only buy them but also learn to sew an 'ie' (traditional Romanian blouse).

'In Breaza, you can also go hiking, there is the 'Princess's Beech,' the Hill with Trovants, and you can ride bicycles. There are various attractions. The information centres in Breaza and Campina regularly organise guided bicycle tours. You can also go to the sheepfold to taste traditional products, and if we talk about traditional products, I want to remind you that in Campina, there is a honey fair in February, recognised by beekeepers, as well as a tourist beekeeping project. Prahova also hosts many festivals, such as 'Sinaia Forever' or the 'George Enescu Festival', a different concept but with a tradition almost similar to that of the Enescu Festival in Bucharest,' added Anda Popa.

APDT Prahova has been functioning since 2008 as a public-private partnership, an NGO with the role of a Destination Management Organisation (DMO), promoting and developing tourism in Prahova both domestically and internationally.

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics, provided by APDT Prahova, last year, 621,216 tourists visited Prahova County in accommodation establishments with at least 10 beds, marking a slight increase compared to 2023, when there were 619,353 tourists. Prahova maintains its 5th place ranking among counties by the number of arrivals.

Additionally, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Digitisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEDAT), Prahova County has 1,164 classified accommodation units across all types of tourism, with 20,659 accommodation places, ranging from cabins and guesthouses to five-star hotels. 'For example, we have bungalows in Tiparesti, where there is a lavender field, and we also have the igloo concept. In Prahova County, we offer all types of tourism for all budgets. All the details about Prahova can be found on our website, www.exploreprahova.ro,' added the representative of the tourism promotion association.

The National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania (ANAT), in partnership with the Prahova Tourism Promotion and Development Association (APDT Prahova) and the Poiana Brasov Tourism Employers' Organisation, organised a promotional event last week dedicated to mountain resorts, called 'Rediscover the Prahova Valley.' AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)