Dracula's Castle

Bran is about a 40 minute bus ride from Braşov and is a major tourist destination. It is home to Bran Castle...also known as...Dracula's Castle.

Vlad III was Prince of Wallachia. He was known as Vlad Ţepeș - Vlad the Impaler. His Romanian surname, Drăculea (Son of the Dragon), points to his father Vlad Drăcul.



He is most famous for impaling those who opposed him and for fighting the Ottoman Empire. Vlad's name inspired Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula".

In 1212, the Knights of the Teutonic Order built Bran Castle. Towards the end of the 13th century the castle was taken over by the Saxons to protect Braşov which was an important trade center.

Vlad Ţepeș used the castle during his raids in to Transylvania.





There's not a whole lot to see as far as the castle goes but the surrounding area is quite beautiful. It did take all day to get there and back but you can't go all the way to Romania and not make the trip to Bran. And now I can cross of "Visit Dracula's Castle in Transylvania" off of the bucket list.