Transylvania is a region part of Romania, located in Eastern Europe. The word Transylvania became synonymous with dark forests, werewolves and Dracula the Vampire Count. For Romanians and historians, Vlad Tepes the Impaler was a fierce fighter and ruthless ruler. Despite rumors he was a “bloody” count based on his actions, he was not known as a vampire. Vlad Tepes is told to have been in league with devil, where his nickname Dracul comes from.
Vampirism is a part of local folklore that came to world’s attention with Bram Stoker novel, Dracula. His tale is based in Transylvania and invented Count Dracula, the vampire, even though the author never visited these places.
Transylvania has a lot of medieval culture, castles and spiky mountains to show to visitors. For a “Dracula’s Tour” we recommend you set aside at least one week to have time to visit what Transylvania has to offer. A tour of Bran Castle, also known as “Dracula’s Castle”, is a great starting point in your journey through these old places. Perched on a crag and bristling with turrets, Bran Castle may have inspired Bram Stoker’s story, but it was never inhabited by Count Vlad Tepes. Bran and nearby Rasnov locations offer an atmospheric countryside that is both wild and untouched.
Tepes birthplace is Sighisoara, a fortified citadel located in the historic region of Transylvania. Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city, reason for getting listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year, a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July.
The little visited Poenari Castle is the actual place where the Impaler spent many years in refuge; so if you want to be able to say you have visited the real Dracula’s Castle, Poenari should be in your itinerary.
Travel details:
- How: take a flight to Bucharest or Cluj-Napoca. From any of these places go by car or an organized coach tour
- When to go: June to September; during July you can also get to Sighisoara Medieval Festival
- Time it takes: at least one week
- Hotels: Bran hotels, Rasnov hotels, Sighisoara hotels