🧛♂️ In the footsteps of Dracula: a journey to Bran Castle
Romania is a country that is full of stereotypes, legends and stories. A country that is famous not only for its nature, architecture , but also for legends about vampires, castles and other evil spirits. Coming to Romania for one day, it was not difficult for me to choose a place worth visiting first – Bran Castle. It is located in Transelvania near the small city of Brasov. The route from Bucharest will not be the closest, but it’s worth it.
Why Bran?
Bran is the most popular and visited castle in Romania. There is a legend that it was here that the great and terrible Count Dracula lived. Within the walls of this castle, he drank blood and watched the torture of people he did not like. Thanks to these legends, the castle gained worldwide popularity.
Also an interesting fact: Dracula may have never been to this castle, or only stayed a couple of times for the night when he hunted in the local forests. Historians cannot come to a consensus, but resourceful Romanians decided to make a business out of it. And every day more and more legends and myths associated with this unique place appear.
A few legends and stories:
- At night you can meet innocent victims who were abused by the “vampire”.
- From the basement and well, which is located on the territory of the castle, you can hear heartbreaking screams. Exactly at midnight on September 31, the souls of the victims fly out of there, only in September there are 30 days, but the especially impressionable do not pay attention to this fact.
- According to local beliefs, the ghost of Count Dracula walks in the forest near the castle. And anyone who meets him will have bad luck in life.
Well, we're hitting the road!
There are several options for the road to the castle. You can book an excursion and go with a group and a guide. At the same time, you will save your energy and patience, since the responsibility for your trip will be with professionals.
Or you can get there on your own. If you decide to choose this option, then there are two ways: go by car or by train and taxi. You can rent a car, but keep in mind that you need to leave a deposit. In the second case, you will have to take a train to Brashev, and from there take a taxi or bus to the castle. Approximate travel time is 2-3 hours, depending on the chosen means of transportation .
From Brashev to the castle it takes about 40 minutes. The exit stop is Castello Bran. If you decide to travel by train, it is better to check the exit location at the station.
Important information: buses to the castle do not depart from the central bus station, but from a smaller one – Autogara 2. It is better to check the names and numbers of buses on the spot, as they may change.
Entrance to the castle is paid, and you will also need to pay extra for some rooms. For example, visiting a torture room. All current information about prices and opening hours can be found on their official website.
It is better to come to the castle at the very opening, and if possible, even a little earlier. Keep in mind that crowds of tourists gather very, very quickly.
Tip: the castle has steep stairs and paths made of slippery stones, so it is better to wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
The castle itself seems very majestic and large from the outside, but inside it’s completely the opposite. The rooms are much smaller than they seem, and with a large flow of tourists it is very difficult to get through there. And it will be difficult to take beautiful photographs.
The castle contains a music room, drawing rooms, royal apartments, an armory, bedrooms, a dining room and a library. There are 60 rooms in total, and they are all connected by underground tunnels. Queen Maria worked on the interior, to whom the castle was transferred after the annexation of Transylvania to Romania.
There is a souvenir market near the castle. There you can find a huge number of vampire-themed souvenirs. There are also themed cafes, beer halls or regular snack stalls. You definitely won’t be left without souvenirs and hungry!
If you have already walked around the castle and bought souvenirs, you can take a walk in the royal park and admire the small lake, and also visit Queen Mary’s tea house and the house of Princess Ileana.
For lovers of folk music, themed souvenirs and red wine, I advise you to visit the festival “At Dracula’s” in the summer.
As for overnight accommodation, I did without it on my trip. The company and I immediately continued our journey further without stopping. We also chose a more convenient option for us – a bus tour with a guide.
However, if you decide to stop and rest, there are several options:
- Choose a hostel or hotel in the cities of Brasov or Bucharest.
- Use the couchsurfing service – local residents can provide you with overnight accommodation for free.
- There are also many villas in the area. True, their cost varies from $100 per night.
When I visited this legendary place, I was faced with expectations and reality. I was expecting a gloomy place, scary to be in, and the interior is terrifying with its dark colors and paintings. But the reality turned out to be much simpler: a little gloomy, a lot of tourists and uncomfortable in the torture room. For those who are especially impressionable, it is better not to go there at all. But even despite this, I am incredibly glad that I was able to visit the castle. It's definitely worth seeing once in your life. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and meet a real vampire.