The Land of Dracula

You surely heard of Dracula, the vampire from Transylvania (which means the land beyond the forest btw). But do you know anything else about it?

Dracula’s myth was inspired by the 15th-century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince who fought bravely against the invading Turkish army in the mid 1400’s. The nickname Vlad Tepeș (Vlad the Impaler) was earned by impaling his enemies through the torso with large stakes and erecting these stakes in the ground, according to some sources. The historical accuracy of these texts — many of which were written by Vlad’s enemies — can’t be confirmed though.

This portrait of Vlad III, painted in the early 16th century, hangs in the museum at Castle Ambras in Innsbruck, Austria.

Romania (a word that comes from the Latin “Romanus” meaning “citizen of the Roman Empire”) is a country in Southeast Europe, with Bucharest as its capital, which is also the largest city in Romania and the sixth largest city in the EU (European Union). Pretty impressive, huh? 😎

Yes, it’s the fish-shaped one.. cute, isn’t it? ^_^

Count Dracula is the title character and main antagonist of Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula (i highly recommend this book if you tend to forget locking the door and closing the windows 👍. It won’t happen E-V-E-R again, trust me). He is an undead, centuries-old vampire, and a Transylvanian nobleman who claims to be a Székely descended from Attila the Hun. He inhabits a decaying castle in the Carpathian Mountains (did you know that 60% of European brown bear population lives in the Carpathian Mountains? 😯 ).

Guess what? The castle is real and it’s called Bran Castle, which is also a national monument and landmark in Romania. 😏

Opening hours

High Season (April 1 – September 30)

Monday: 12PM – 6PM
Tue–Sun: 9AM – 6PM
Last Admission: 6PM

Low season (October 1 – March 31)

Monday: 12PM – 4PM
Tue–Sun: 9AM – 4PM
Last Admission: 4PM

Ticket Prices 💰
Adults: 40Lei (8.6€)
Seniors (65+): 30Lei (6.4€)
Students: 25Lei (5.4€)
Pupils: 10Lei (2.2€)
School groups (>20pax): 5Lei (1.1€)

Free / Reduced admission
Admission is free for disabled persons and for institutionalized persons.
Seniors admission is valid for people over 65 years and it requires ID display.
Students and pupils require to display their StudentID.

Filming 🎥 / Photography 📸
The amateur photo / video pass are both included in the basic ticket.
Professional filming / photography requires a signed contract.
The charge is based on a customized offer.

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You wouldn’t want to miss a visit at the Peleș Castle either since it’s only about 1hr away by car/bus! It’s a Neo-Renaissance castle near Sinaia, in Prahova County, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. Its inauguration was held in 1883.

It was constructed for King Carol I born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who was the ruler of Romania from 1866 to 1914. In May 1877, he proclaimed Romania an independent and sovereign nation.

Since I think an image can say more than 1000 words…

Opening hours

May 15 – September 15
Open: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:15 – 16:15; Wednesday: 11:00 – 16:15.
Closed: Monday

September 16 – May 14
Open: Thursday through Sunday: 09:15 – 16:15; Wednesday: 11:00 – 16:15.
Closed: Monday and Tuesday

Ticket Prices 💰
Ground floor – 45min
Adults: 30Lei (6.5€)
Seniors: 15Lei (3.3€)
Students/Pupils: 7,5Lei (1.6€)
Euro Card (<26 years old): 7,5Lei (1.6€)
Ground floor + First floor – 1h15min
Adults: 60Lei (13€)
Seniors: 30Lei (6.5€)
Students/Pupils: 15Lei (3.3€)
Euro Card (<26 years old): 15Lei (3.3€)

If you make it to these sensational Romanian landmarks, let me know how you liked them! 😉

Not sure yet if adding Romania to your bucket list is a good idea? I’ll give you some more reasons to do it in the next post.

To be continued… ✍