Castle Bran

So anything touted as Dracula's castle was inevitably going to be touristy given that Dracula is a character in a book written by an Irish novelist. However, Romania is full of spectacular castles and sometimes you have to give in to tourist kitsch. So if you think of Dracula's castle it would be gothic, dark, menacing hopefully with a gargoyle or two thrown in, a crucifix or crypt would be nice, right? No, of all the options the one chosen is a pretty whitewashed little palace. Why and how this came about (whether by authorities or simple tourist footfall) I don't know but considering the many other options I saw it seems a bad choice. The castle is lovely ...  Read the complete review

Bran Castle is an overpowering structure which lies on top of a hill overlooking the small village of Bran which is closely located to Brasov. Bran is famous as being "Dracula's Castle", although there is no proof that Vlad Tepes actually ever set foot in the building, although it is thought that he may have hung out there for a few days during warfare. There is even less evidence that Bram Stoker knew anything about it. This is however a cracking selling point and the eerieness of the castle's gothic architecture adds to the feeling. What doesn't really add to the feeling is the large amount of stalls selling Dracula and Romania memorobillia nor the ...  Read the complete review

Situated about 25 Kilometres from the picturesque town of Brasov, Bran Castle is probably Romania’s most-visited tourist attraction. It is touted, incorrectly, as Dracula’s Castle and the link with the notorious Vlad Tepes is, if there is any truth in it at all, tenuous to say the least. However, as castles go this one is very attractive and well worth a visit if one is in the area. The castle was built in the early thirteenth century by the Knights of the Teutonic Order and by the end of that century, it was in the hands of the Saxons who used it to protect Brasov from invaders. In the fifteenth century, legend claims,Vlad Tepes (aka Vlad the Impaler, aka ...  Read the complete review

Last summer i spent just over a month teaching english to children in Bacau which is in the east of Romania, about three hours from Transylvania. Our company paid for us to go on several trips during our stay and one of them was to Mount Sinaia (up on the cable cars) and then to Bran Castle. GENERAL While its commonly known as Dracula's castle, Bran Castle (built in 1377) actually wasn't his main residence or the castle thought of in all the stories. That is a few miles away and is nothing more than a few ruins. The castle is found about 1/2 an hours drive outside of Brasov - one of the countries main cities. But Bran castle is what ...  Read the complete review