When Sophie determined to journey to Romania for her summer time trip, she had no concept what she was in for. Or the mysterious and barely chilling conditions she would face. The first oddity? As she sat at the again of the taxicab, she felt herself getting nearer and nearer to her first vacation spot. But not by means of the use of a map or GPS! Rather, it was an eerie sensation that was slowly effervescent up inside her, inflicting a slight however chilly shiver to kind at the again of her neck and run down her backbone. Why was this occurring? Well, the reply to that might lie in the title of Sophie’s vacation spot, being Bran Castle.
The citadel of the rely
Sophie was an avid reader and had simply completed studying Bram Stoker’s well-known epistolary gothic horror novel Dracula. She gazed up at the big citadel earlier than her, ‘I never believed that there was actually a castle belonging to the Count in the real world,’ she thought incredulously. She half anticipated Dracula to seem at the entrance and yell, “Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own will!” But wanting nearer, she seen one thing: whereas the citadel did give off a gray aura of horror and dread, it didn’t match the description of the one in the novel.
Within the realm of literary fiction, Count Dracula might as effectively be the most well-known and notable vampire of all. Within his novel, Bram Stoker not solely described the vampire’s look, but in addition went into nice element in declaring the options and distinctive visible traits of his home, from winding staircases to octagonal rooms, and heat fireplaces. But right here’s the factor. The precise description of the citadel in the novel holds little to no resemblance to what Bran Castle appears to be like like, moreover the proven fact that it stands on a rocky precipice. In reality, there isn’t any proof that Bram Stoker even visited this citadel. So right here’s the massive query: why is Bran Castle referred to as ‘Dracula’s Castle’ if it holds no resemblance to the description on the pages, and was by no means visited by the creator himself? The most important reply to this query could be that it was a advertising and marketing technique by guides and residents, and was pushed by the want for extra tourism. Also, historians have hinted at a potential connection between Bran Castle and Vlad the Impaler (Vlad III, prince of Wallachia), the real-life determine who probably impressed Count Dracula. It is believed that Vlad the Impaler both resided inside the citadel’s partitions or was imprisoned in the dungeons for months. Either manner, regardless of the proven fact that Bran Castle holds only a few similarities to the citadel on the pages of Bram Stoker’s masterpiece, the structure, location, and total construction surrounding Bran Castle with an environment that mirrored the residence of the Count, and had vacationers and readers of the guide discover it to be the good place for a vampire to dwell! Its sturdy gothic look and pure spooky allure does most of the work.
Dracula PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Residents of actuality
‘I wonder who walked through these doors.’ Sophie thought. ‘This castle looks like it belongs to a supernatural being of darkness, but I’m not foolish sufficient to suppose that as true!’ She shook her head in amusement.
So, Count Dracula really residing at Bran Castle is out of the query. So who really lived inside the spooky partitions of the place? To reply that, we should return in time to the late 14th Century, when Louis I of Hungary issued an act that granted the Saxons (individuals of German origin who got here and settled in Transylvania in the twelfth Century) the rights and duty of constructing the citadel, which was initially named Dietrichstein. The building was accomplished in 1388, and the citadel was initially used as a fortress of defence towards the Ottoman Empire and German colonists in Transylvania. But then got here its transformation from a protect into a spot of royal residence! In 1920, following the Treaty of Trianon, the citadel became a spot for royalty and shortly grew to become a favorite retreat of Queen Marie of Romania (The final queen of Romania), for whom it was gifted by the locals. So what did she do with this unimaginable reward? She started renovations immediately and transformed the fortress into a wonderful summer time citadel the place she spent a few years. After her passing, it was inherited by her daughter, Princess Ileana. Queen Marie had beloved the citadel a lot that she had requested for her coronary heart to be taken and buried there. Ileana, the new proprietor of the citadel, put it to environment friendly use and ran a hospital inside it throughout World War II. But then, misfortune struck! The citadel had been seized by the communist regime, and the princess and her household had been expelled in 1948. However, in 2005, following a legislation handed by the Romanian authorities, the possession was transferred to Ileana’s son, Archduke Dominic of Austria.
Bram Stoker PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Secret passages and mirrors
‘What is this!?’ Sophie’s thoughts screamed as she seemed up at the marvel earlier than her. What had simply seemed like a traditional hearth was really a hidden door! Without a second thought she moved to open it.
The citadel in the guide is described as a labyrinth with many doorways and corridors. But the factor of thriller can also be one thing the Count’s citadel and the Bran Castle have in frequent, for the latter can also be home to a secret passage. One that connects the first ground to the third ground. It is a secret, hidden route whose entrance begins at a faux hearth the place the door is positioned. While having the 57 chambers of the citadel refurbished at the order of Queen Marie, the renovators had tried to maneuver the hearth, and Open Sesame! Out popped the secret passage. While it is a actual characteristic of the citadel, there are lots of tales and legends instructed of it. One of the hottest being that the citadel was full of quite a few mirrors that had been positioned to lure the souls of vampires! Following that is one other story the place individuals declare to have heard faint piano music that serves as an indication for the lingering spirit of Queen Marie.
Tami Varma and her brother Robin, the grandchildren of Devendra Varma, a scholar of English gothic tales and an knowledgeable in vampire lore, pose in coffins at Bran Castle, in Bran, Romania, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. PHOTO: Vadim Ghirda / AP
A vacationer’s pleasure
“M-m-maybe I shouldn’t have come on my own!” Sophie squeaked, taking a look at her environment with a slight tinge of worry. But when she heard noises and laughter, she remembered that she was not the just one in the citadel. This was a spot for vacationers!
The Bran Castle, attributable to its marketed connection to the novel Dracula, has became a large centre for vacationers and literature lovers to collect and admire the structure that had transitioned from a fortress to a royal spectacle. It now serves as a museum that showcases the artefacts and furnishings collected and owned by Queen Marie. Tours are both finished by oneself or with the help of a information.
Bran Castle inside PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
DID YOU KNOW?
The locals of Romania used to imagine in creatures often known as Strigoi, who had been troubled, invisible spirits that rose from the grave throughout the evening and gained vitality by means of the blood of their victims! It can also be strongly believed that these creatures impressed Bram Stoker’s creation of Dracula.
Published – October 07, 2025 06:47 pm IST
