All along our tour, we’d seen numerous guest houses, hotels and souvenirs, all referencing Count Dracula. However, near the end of the trip, we finally laid eyes upon the real Dracula’s castle, where Vlad the Impaler held court.
Born the son of a Hungarian count, Vald Dracul, Vlad Tepeş, (Vlad III) ruled Wallachia between 1456-62. His father, Vlad II, was a member of The Order of the Dragon, whose mission it was to protect Christianity in Eastern Europe, and Vlad III was a revered folk hero in Romania for his victories agains the Ottomans.
Vlad III earned his moniker for his legendary practice of impaling his enemies in such a way that they’d suffer in agony for many hours, sometimes even a day or two before succumbing to death. His reputation spread across Europe and inspired the main character in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.
Bram Stoker used the castle in the Transylvanian town of Bran as the home of the fictional Dracula. It is said that Vlad III was said to have visited the Hungarian owned stronghold a few times during his travels through Bran, but her never lived there. To this day, Vlad III remains a legendary hero in Transylvania.