Dracula Tour | fabulous

Tracking Dracula

Dracula Tour is a great travel adventure which takes you to Eastern Europe's most infamous land of the unholy, Transylvania (Romania). Such a trip will unreveal at least part of the legend, following in the footsteps of the fictitious Count Dracula and the historical person Vlad the Impaler through Transylvania.

This journey to Vlad's land is both entertaining and informative, revealing the history and the myths, but most of all, the fun.

The tourists attracted to Dracula’s myth usually head to the Bran Castle,

where they expect to find a frightening, dark place, haunted by ghosts.

Well, the palace evokes indeed a fascinating medieval atmosphere, as

Vlad Ţepeş spent part of his imprisonment years that he was sentenced to

by king Matthias Corvinus. At Bran, the first who raised a fortification were

the Teuton knights, then the citizens of Brasov raised a stone fortress on

the same spot.

The eddifice owes its fame both to its unique charm and to the myth Bram

Stoker created around Dracula.

Documentary evidence of the castle dates back as far as 1377.

It’s also possible to have an exclusive access to a secret room in Castle Dracula

and taste cheese and wine. Get amazed and horrified by an exhibition of medieval

torture devices.

Such great adventure should start with the Snagov Monastery where,

according to the legend, Vlad was buried after his assassination.

The monastic establishment is located on a small island of Snagov Lake.

The architectural style of the monastery follows the architectural pattern

that is characteristic to the monasteries on the Holy Mount Athos in Greece .

You will cross a moat by rowboat to arrive at Vlad's tomb.

The richly dressed corpse, exhumed in 1931, had been decapitated.

In the place of a human skeleton was the bones of an animal....

Although his remains were never found, the halidom keeps the memory of brave Ţepeş alive.

Go further to Targoviste, former capital of Walachia County, to visit the

ruins of Vlad Tepes old court . It is said that at the prince’s court he would

host great feasts at the end of which he would impale his enemy boyars.

One can also visit Chindiei Tower here, where the ruler’s weaponry is

displayed. Continue your journey with Sinaia, the pearl of mountain resorts

in Romania .

Explore the main point of attraction, the royal Peles Castle.

The edifice was built in 1873

and is an architectural mixture

of the German School and

neo-renaissance style.

The castle has 160 rooms,

all of them opulently decorated

in leather and wood from the

most valuable tree species.

Peles Castle is one of the best

preserved and the most beautiful royal residences in Europe.

Then explore Transylvania's symbol, Bran Castle, a dark, gloomy edifice

towering over a bed of stone, gruesome yet beautiful as a preserved fortress.

In the park area, there is a open-air gypsy bazaar where you will find the best

selection of Dracula dolls, shirts, souvenirs & memorabilia in Transylvania.

It may be a good option to book accommodation and dinner in the Medieval

Saxon City of Brasov.

The most famous landmark of Brasov is the Black Church, the largest

gothic edifice in South-Eastern Europe .

You’ll enjoy excellent music and most delicious medieval treats.

If lucky, you can also attend Dracula’s Wedding - a show set on stage by a

professional band of actors. This is a non verbal performance and very easy

to understand that Dracula did not need words to charm a girl.

The first time they met he appeared as a respectable noble, the second

meeting revealed his true dark nature…

Find out if the story has a happy ending.....

Next stop, a UNESCO World

Heritage Site, Sighisoara

Medieval Citadel.

Founded by Saxons during the

12th century, Sighisoara still

stands as one of Europe's most

beautiful and still inhabited

fortified cities .

Sighisoara is also the place where

Vlad Ţepeş’ father had lived and

where the prince was presumably born.

One of the most beautiful medieval cities in Europe, Sighisoara impresses

with the architectural richness of the old houses and towers.

Stroll around the narrow streets of the old citadel and you will discover

new stories about the fearsome voivode who terrified the Saxons in

Transylvania; admire the Clock Tower, concentrating Sighisoara’s history,

the beautiful Church on the Hill and the unique Covered Stairs.

The complete walking tour of the walled city of Sighisoara includes the

gory Torture room and Witch's Trial. Continue on to the ancient cemetery

through the haunted fully-covered wooden stairway.

You can even enjoy a tea in the very house where Vlad the Impaler was born,

turned today into a cosy restaurant – “Casa Vlad Dracul” Restaurant.

After the visit to Vlad's birthplace, begin the ascent up the Carpethian

Mountains. You will pass rivers, trees, swamps and mountains, following the

path of Jonathan Harker, as described in Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula" and

capturing the essence of Harker's trail. You will see the Carpathian gorges

which fit Stoker's description almost perfectly.

Finally, you arrive at "Dracula Castle" hotel*** in Piatra Fantanele, Tihuta.

Enjoy a gala dinner and presentation at Jonathan Harker's Golden Crown

Restaurant. If you haven't tasted blood yet, today you will be able to indulge

in a unique drink: blood-red liquor, an exclusive beverage of the Golden

Crown Restaurant. This is just one stop following the path of Dracula, or more

accurately, the journey traveled by Jonathan Harker (in the notes of the hero's

diary). Feast on a lavish full-course meal at the Romanian Coroana de Aur,

perhaps even ordering the house specialty, the "Robber Steak," Jonathan

Harker's ritual meal in the "Dracula" novel.

Toast with the blood brandy.

You may bring your cameras but don't be too shocked if all of the guests do

not appear in your photos after you have them developed.

Next day drive to the city of Cluj Napoca to enjoy a city tour revealing beautiful

medieval buildings such as Saint Andrews Cathedral.

From Cluj drive to Turda, a small town with an intimate medieval atmosphere.

Prepare to descent to the heart of one of the biggest saline in Romania,

the Salt Mines of Turda, with impressive halls named after kings and queens.

The Salt Mines are the place where you will put your existence to test!

Drive next to Medias. Here you'll become interested by a unique artist ,

the only one in the world who uses spider webs for his paintings .

As you probably know, spiders are creatures happily tolerated by the count,

so you'll have further proof of how they are not merely reminiscent of

delights' past.

Evening in Sibiu , the European Cultural Capital for 2007.

The fortified town of Sibiu has been the centre of Romania 's German minority

since medieval times and it is one of Romania's most beautiful cities.

Take the walking city tour in Sibiu including Liar's Bridge and Central Square.

Finish the trip at the massive Evangelical Church, first built in 1300 and added

to many times since then. This church, with its 5-pointed tower, hosts the

largest organ in all of Romania, comprising over 6,000 pipes. We are not there

for a concert, though. Instead, your destination lies behind the narthex of the

church, for that is where the burial vaults are located.

The stonework on the vault seals and on the various decorations throughout

the church are amazingly and beautifully preserved. Two vaults hold special

interest. The first vault is of Prince Mihnea the Bad, one of the sons of Vlad

Dracula, who was murdered just outside the church. The second vault of

interest is that of Valentini Frank, a Romanian scientist and physician.

The reason this vault is so unique is because Valentini Frank is considered one

of Mary Shelley's inspirations in her creation of "Frankenstein."

Shelley had a number of paramours, one of whom was from Sibiu, and it was

this lover who informed Shelley about Frank's life and the various lurid experiments he was reputed to have conducted.

Take photos in the catacomb's chair of fears and tears. Enjoy a traditional Saxon dinner in one of the best restaurants in Sibiu.

Next day in the morning prepare yourself for another highlight: your visit to

what most Dracula purists consider the true Castle of Dracula: Poenari Castle.

On the Transfagarasan, along a route full of adrenaline and spectacular

sceneries, you will see this impressive fortress, where Ţepeş found his last

refuge, before leaving for Transylvania.

Legends say that in the 15th century, when the fortification was rebuilt,

the prince wanted to take revenge on the boyars of Targoviste, who were

guilty of his brother’s death, Mircea. Some he killed in his characteristic

manner, others he condemned to build the walls and many of them died on

the slopes of the mountain.

Those in good shape climb the endless (1500) stairs up to the fortress,

and surround yourself with the remains and ruins of Vlad's Castle.

The unique and breathless panorama opening over the Fagaras Mountains

and Argesului Valley definitely worth the effort.

Finally, Bucharest is another place where Ţepeş left his mark.

In the center of the city you can visit the ruins of the Prince’s Court built in the 15th century, nowadays known as Curtea Veche Palace. According to legends, prisoners were held in the underground cellars.