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Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran 507025, Romania
GPS: 45.515205638802, 25.367381971332
Travel info for Bran Castle Romania is undeniably associated with the bloodthirsty character of Dracula, Bran Castle is the most popular attraction in Romania. It is located in the iconic Transylvania region, about 30 kilometres from the city of Brașov, between the Bucegi and Piatra Cariului Mountains in the Southern Carpathians. Bran Castle owes its legendary fame to the Irish writer Bram Stocker, author of “Dracula”, a story published in the United Kingdom in 1897 recounting the history of Count Dracula, the vampire of Transylvania. This bloodthirsty character was probably inspired by Vlad Țepeș, Prince of Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He is also known as Vlad III Basarab and earned the unflattering nickname Vlad the Impaler for his reputation as a ruthless warlord.
Bran Castle was built in 1377 on the site of an old wooden fortress built by the Teutonic Order in 1212. It was Louis I of Hungary who authorised the transformation of this wooden fortress into a stone citadel on the Bran rock to protect the neighbouring town of Braşov. This structure initially played a military defensive role for the Kingdom of Hungary against the forces of the Ottoman Empire until the 18th century. Bran Castle then took advantage of its strategic location on the trade route between Europe and Asia, in the historical region of Wallachia, to be transformed into a customs post. This development contributed to the economic prosperity of the inhabitants of this rural land in central Romania.
In the 1920s, Bran Castle became the royal property of Romania and the summer residence of Queen Marie after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was transformed into a makeshift military hospital during the Second World War. Then the estate was seized by the Romanian communist regime in 1947, which at the same time forced the royal family to leave the country. Transformed into a museum of history and feudal art, this national monument was forced to close its doors between 1987 and 1993 due to its obvious lack of maintenance. In the end, Bran Castle was only handed over to Queen Marie’s grandson, Dominic von Habsburg, in 2006 after lengthy legal proceedings. A million tourists flock to the castle every year to visit this fascinating and intimidating residence. The entire village of Bran has also taken advantage of the popularity of the castle abroad. For example, the Halloween festivities remain the most anticipated event for fans of Count Dracula in Bran Castle, a place full of mystery and legend.