Where is Dracula’s Castle?
Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, is located in Romania’s Transylvania region approximately 28 km away from the city of Brașov. It is a historic castle known for having been the inspiration for the setting of Bram Stoker’s 1987 Gothic novel Dracula.
“The castle is on the very edge of a terrible precipice. A stone falling from the window would fall a thousand feet without touching anything! As far as the eye can reach is a sea of green tree tops, with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm. Here and there are silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula
Courtesy of Bran Castle
Is Bran Castle Worth Visiting?
Yes! Bran Castle is a 14th-century structure that offers visitors a glimpse of the past while conjuring up spooky folklore that has haunted eastern Europe for centuries.
To learn more, Alexandra Cojanu, a representative of Bran Castle, shares her thoughts on what makes this castle so unique, as well as details about its fascinating history. Take a virtual tour of Dracula’s Castle in Romania.
What makes Bran Castle different from other castles in Romania?
Bran Castle is one of the most valuable medieval architectural monuments in Romania, known by tourists across the globe for the legend that revolves around it, being allegedly used by Bram Stoker as his model for Dracula’s Castle.
Courtesy of Bran Castle
What is something about Bran Castle that might surprise visitors?
The famous legend of the vampire is based on real historical facts and that’s what makes it so fascinating. History and fiction have mingled, thus creating an intriguing phenomenon that spread over the past two centuries throughout the entire world.
When was Bran Castle built?
The first written record of the Castle is an act issued by King Louis I of Anjou in 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Braşov) the right to build a stone citadel at their own expense and labor force. The structure seen today was largely built by the Saxons from 1377 onwards. The Castle’s main function was to be a defensive stronghold against the invading Turkish armies. It later also became a customs post controlling the mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia.
Courtesy of Bran Castle
Is there a connection between Bran Castle and Bram Stoker’s Dracula?
Bran Stoker has modeled his vampire Count Dracula on the 15th-century Romanian ruler Vlad III Basarab Draculea (Vlad the Impaler). In 1462, Vlad the Impaler was arrested and held hostage in a castle in Transylvania, most certainly Bran Castle, before being transferred to Visegrad Fortress, Hungary. This fact represents the most prominent link between Bran Castle and Vlad Draculea, the prince of Wallachia. On the other hand, Count Dracula’s castle in the novel was depicted based upon a description of Bran Castle, as sitting high above a valley, perched on a rock above a flowing river. Bran Castle is the only fortress in Transylvania that fits Bram Stoker’s illustration. Thus, although Bran Castle was not Vlad the Impaler’s ownership, it definitely must be fictional Dracula’s retreat.
Courtesy of Bran Castle
Why do you think Transylvania serves as an attractive setting for fictional works in the horror genre?
Although not particularly in this area, Romanian mythology is rich in very old legends about “Strigoi,” which are supernatural creatures similar to vampires, and usually, the troubled souls of the dead rise from the grave and sometimes also living people with certain unusual properties. Actually, the night before Saint Andrew’s Day (November 30th) is thought to be a magical one in Eastern-European folklore. There are certain horror and paranormal phenomena related stories associated with Bran Castle. The very core of Dracula’s legend is of horror origin, so we are doing our best to provide the ideal place for our visitors’ imagination to manifest freely.
Courtesy of Bran Castle
How big is Bran Castle?
There are 57 rooms in the Castle distributed over four floors and about two-thirds of them are open to the public. The others are either offices or storage rooms. Several collections of furniture, costumes, weapons and armors are displayed in the Castle. Bran Compound also includes the Royal Park with its two lakes, the Castle’s Restaurant and the recently opened Tunnel of Time.
Courtesy of Bran Castle
What changes did Queen Marie of Romania make to Bran Castle after she received it as a gift from the town of Brasov in 1920?
Its most prominent inhabitant was Queen Marie, King Ferdinand‘s wife, who lived there at the beginning of the 20th century. With the help of the Royal Court Architect, Karel Liman, the fortress became a home, and the small medieval castle turned into a fairy tale. Two towers were added. The stoves and the firesides in the castle became fireplaces. The murder holes became windows, and the castle was equipped with an elevator and a telephone. In order to assure the water supply, the 57 meters deep well dug into the inner courtyard was restored. In 1932, an electric plant was built to provide electricity for the castle and also to the neighboring villages: Bran, Şimon and Moieciu. The Tea House was built from wooden beams, as well as a stone guest house, a wooden church, the children’s homes and residences for the staff. Between the Castle and the Tea House – equipped with fir furniture and used for receptions – a funicular was set up to connect with the kitchen of Bran Castle, in order to ease the transport of the products served to the guests.
Courtesy of Bran Castle
What does the future hold for Bran Castle?
Bran Castle is an accessible, welcoming and challenging place. It’s a wonderful location for public events, but also for those who want to celebrate a special event in their life accompanied by a glass of Château Bran Merlot. It is a place where one’s imagination might run free, traveling from the 14th century up to the present time and from the accuracy of known history to an imaginary world and open future. Bran Castle is ranked first in the number of tourists visiting an attraction in Romania, and the Castle welcomed a total of 844,024 paid visitors in 2018. New exhibits and events are constantly being added to accommodate the increasing interest in the Castle and its links to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The annual calendar includes café concerts, events around different Romanian traditions, Halloween, Jazz at the Castle Festival, the Medieval Tournament, Valentine’s Day and among these, several corporate and private receptions, theme dinners and cocktails.
Bran Castle
Address: Str. General Traian Mosoiu, nr. 24
507025 Bran – Romania
Website: www.bran-castle.com
