Cinema and literature have a strange ability to turn the most delusional inventions into undeniable truths, and places and landscapes that never existed into absolute reality. This happened with the famous Bran castle in Romania, the alleged abode of the mythical Romanian prince Vlad III Drukula, or Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler (due to the custom of impaling Ottoman Turkish prisoners on a stake).
A novel that inspires fear
There are not many names that strike fear into the hearts of people. Perhaps Count Dracula has become the most legendary of them all. The creepy vampire was created by the Irish Gothic writer Bram Stoker. The novel of the same name, which became a classic of the genre and was released in 1897, inspired the shooting of countless horror films, the creation of television shows, and chilling vampire stories. After the worldwide success of the novel, subsequent film adaptations always showed Count Dracula living in an ancient, imposing and gloomy castle located in Transylvania somewhere in the mountains, surrounded by dark and impenetrable forests, where even birds never sing. The cruel count listened with delight to the howl of the wolves and wandered alone along the walls of the ancient castle in the night.
Dracula's castle
The Romanian Bran Castle, a medieval fortress built in 1377, with great expressive power, strong and fortified around the outer perimeter and decorated with large towers topped with red slate roofs, is located near the city of the same name in the Carpathian Mountains and 30 kilometers from Brasov, on the border Transylvania with Wallachia. And now it enjoys great tourist attraction due to its antiquity, architectural value and the widespread belief that this is the former possession of Vlad Tepes. The very location of the castle in the gloomy foggy mountains suggests something mysterious and frightening.
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After all, this is exactly what is expected from the house of the most famous vampire, but, alas, Dracula did not live there and never even was. But due to his alleged connection with a fictional character, at the foot of this castle are crowded restaurants and a market, where the handicrafts of Transylvania alternate with a variety of vampire trappings.
Did you know that Bran Castle has a beautiful garden? In fact, the garden is impressive. There is a beautiful vineyard-covered tea house, a small lake, many trees and benches, and a cobblestone path that will lead you to the castle entrance. What does the castle look like from the inside? When you enter the castle, on the ground floor you will find many rooms, long corridors, the former royal dining room, kitchen, fountain, and Prince Mircea's chapel. The second floor houses the queen's bedroom, a large living room and a secret staircase.
Crowned owners
The interior of Bran Castle, which is visited by thousands of tourists every year, is beautifully decorated with furniture from the 19th and 20th centuries. And, according to historical records, its last important guests and owners were Queen Maria of Romania and Princess Ileana, who left the castle in 1948. Later, in 1957, the castle became a museum.
Bran is now owned by Archduke Dominic of Habsburg, nephew of the last Romanian king, who lives in New York. By the way, Roman Abramovich wanted to buy the castle from its owner, but the deal did not take place. The castle remains the center of a kind of themed "Count Dracula Park".
In the publication of the American magazine Forbes, this ancient structure was estimated at $ 140 million, which is confirmed by experts, given the income that this historic building provides as a popular tourist destination.
A bit of history
The vast majority of people take it for granted that the Romanian Bran Castle was the residence of Vlad Tepes. Historically Vlad Tepes was born in Targovishte, located on the southern slopes of the Transylvanian Alps. Then it was the place where his father Vlad II, the ruler (voivode) of the principality of Wallachia, lived. By the way, the nickname Dracula came from the fact that Vlad Tepes' father belonged to the elite knightly order of the Dragon. He minted the image of a dragon on coins and decorated the walls of his possessions with it. Few know that the real home of the mythical prince of Wallachia was the fort (castle) of Poenar, located on the top of the mountain. The fortress is part of a defensive structure that defended Romania's borders from the north. The Transnfgarasan road leads to it - one of the most famous in the world for its bends. But to this day, most of the fort has not survived. Only the majestic ruins remind of Poenar.
A mistake or a deliberate decision?
To understand this historical error, it is necessary to look back to the days when Romania was ruled by Nicolae Ceausescu, the country's former president. Knowing that the Romanian myth of Dracula is already known all over the world and that the real royal castle of Vlad Tepes was practically destroyed by time and is far from the main tourist attractions, the Romanian government of that time decided to "find" another "home" of the vampire. It was economically profitable to "find" it in a region like Brasov, the tourist ski capital of Romania, where several castles and fortresses were located. Thus, the choice fell on Bran Castle - an old defensive fortress, built by order of Louis I. Everyone, of course, knew that there was no evidence that Vlad III lived there, but is it so important when the legend is created?
Dracula's real castle
As for Poenari Castle, the real home of Vlad III Dracula, although it is now almost destroyed, travel agencies still recommend it for visiting. The route is very interesting and unusual, especially considering the amount of effort you have to make to get to it. First, you must hike for over 30 minutes, crossing a dense forest where deer and salamanders sometimes appear. Then climb 1,600 steps of the staircase leading to the entrance to the ruined castle.
Dracula tours are very popular in Romania. And Poenar is historically associated with the personality of Vlad III. It doesn't matter that there is almost nothing left of the old walls. But the spirit of the legend lives in this place, because Bram Stoker also studied historical sources when creating his mysterious hero.
Victoria Paladiy