Bran Castle, situated near the town of the same name, is often referred to as “Dracula’s Castle”. It stands atop a hill overlooking the town on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, among beautiful nature between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountain ranges.
Originally this structure was built by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century to control and tax the commercial traffic of the valley. The castle was originally built out of wood, and a century later would be remade into a stone fortress by King Louis I of Hungary. Many architectural changes were made to the castle (mainly because of an explosion). During the period of 1918 – 2006, owner of the castle was shared between the Royal Family and the communist government (which opened it for visitors) and the Romanian government before eventually returning to the Habsburg family, who are the current owners.
A visit to Bran Castle allows you to discover the unknown, as it is connected to Vlad Draculea, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. Bram Stoker, author of Dracula was inspired to write his novel by the personality of Vlad the Impaler because of his cruelty. However, there are no documents verifying that Vlad ever visited Castle Bran. Some sources claimed that he stopped here while travelling between Transylvania and Wallachia, where he was arrested.
The name “Dracula’s Castle” comes more-so from the desire to create interest among tourists. However, despite its lack of connection with Dracula, Bran Castle remains a fascinating piece of architecture, and an important part of the cultural and political history of Transylvania and Romania
Historical Monument
Fortress/ruins
Bulgaria
Macedonia
Romania
Bran