Bran Castle (Bran, Romania) - history, excursions, expositions. Exact address, photos, map, cost of entrance tickets. Local legends and ghosts.
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| Bran Castle |
Not far from Bran, the formidable fortress towers are visible from the road above the tops of the trees. This is one of the most popular tourist sites in Romania, known as the "Castle of Dracula". He owes his fame to the violent fantasy of the American Bram Stoker, who glorified the name of the ruler of Wallachia throughout the world, declaring him an immortal vampire. The fortress and its surroundings fully correspond to the description of the princely residence from the famous novel. Myth, witchcraft and mystery come to life within its walls.
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| Bran Castle |
A bit of History
The castle was built at the beginning of the 13th century on the ancient trade route from Hungarian Transylvania to the then capital of Wallachia, Targovishte, to collect customs duties and protect against robbers. The times were turbulent, the fortification was alternately owned by the Hungarians, the Vlachs and the Turks. The rocky hill below it is all pitted with deep dungeons, where captives languished for years. There is a possibility that the future ruler of Wallachia, sent to the Ottomans as a hostage, spent several nights in one of the casemates.
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| Bran Castle |
What to watch
At the castle gate there is a stone cross with a snake carved on it, curled up into a ring. This is a symbol of the knightly order of the Dragon, established in the Holy Roman Empire to counter Muslim expansion. Its member was Vlad II Draco, the father of that same Dracula.
In a small courtyard, a deep well was dug with a crown of white stone, decorated with bas-reliefs. Guides assure that this is the only entrance to the mysterious dungeons. Tourists always look down, trying to see the secret hole there.
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| Bran Castle |
The interior of the castle is connected in an intricate labyrinth of rooms, stairs and secret passages. Carved tables, chairs and beds, knightly armor, weapons, crockery are exhibited in the interiors; forged chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The stoves are lined with amazing tiles. Instruments of torture are collected in a special room, among them a terrible chair with sharp spikes on the seat, back and armrests.
Bran Castle is certainly an interesting place, but its connection with Vlad the Impaler is nothing more than a hyped legend. But in Romania there is also a "real Dracula's castle", but it is dilapidated and is located away from traditional tourist routes.