Bram Stoker took the world by storm, with his Gothic novel, Dracula, in the 18th century, and no other author has been able to recreate a character of such dastardly demeanor, ever since. The vampire was aptly depicted to send the chills down anyone’s spine, so much at the mention of it. Stoker made sure the setting was equally creepy, and Dracula’s castle is something that has continued to entice people even now. We all know Dracula was a fictitious character, but did you know he was inspired from a real life ruler who existed in 14th century - Vlad III, the son of dragon, was the bloodthirsty ruler who inspired Stoker. Moreover, Stoker visited castles associated with Vlad to conjure up the perfect setting for his protagonist. Some of these castles are strewn across Romania and if you visit them, you would be able to find the correlation with the bloody legend of Dracula. Here we are going to explore the myths and stories around the dwelling place of Dracula.

Bran Castle, Transylvania

The Bran Castle in Transylvania is officially considered ‘Dracula’s castle’. Every year hordes of tourists flock to visit this castle. In fact, a whopping half a million Dracula fans queue up to see the palace, which is loosely connected to the tale. The eerie passageways and winding staircases make the setting more dramatic. The 14th century castle sits perched on a hilltop near Brasov, Central Romania. Vlad, the impaler, is rumored to have visited this palace, in the days of his reign. And his barbaric ways of execution seem to have affected the overall region, thus leaving some impressions of terror, which are still prevalent in and around this palace. Although, Stoker never seems to have visited Bran’s palace but his depiction of Dracula’s palace very closely resembles this one. And in fact, this palace is marketed by the owners as ‘Dracula’s castle’, which attracts much fanfare round the year.

Poenari Castle, Transylvania

This one is the real deal if you are looking for a castle that connects you to Count Dracula’s past, in right sense. These are more of ruins than a castle or a royal retreat. The fortress was built by Vlad – The real life Dracula, himself. He reigned and brought doom to the region by impaling enemies on spikes. The blood thirsty ruler would feast and enjoy among the dead. Well, the thought of it is quite unsettling! No wonder, this palace and Vlad inspired Stoker for a masterpiece as phenomenal as Dracula. The ruins are to be found in the less visited part of Romania, and the crumbling fortress can be reached only after passing through thick, dense forests, which makes it even spookier.

Hunyad Castle, Transylvania

The passageways of Hunyad castle are cold and lifeless. Situated in the town of Hunedoara, this castle is also known as Huniazilor or Corvin castle, and has a bloodshed history of its own. Again, the real life Dracula, aka Vlad, was imprisoned here for seven long years. And, he worked his atrocities on animals inside the dungeons. In his younger days, Vlad was also trained to become a knight among the walls of this castle. In fact, this is exactly where he learnt the cruel art of impaling his victims on spikes. This castle is rumored to be haunted by spirits from the past, and has also played host to the British TV show The Most Haunted Live, which was filmed in the palace for three nights, hunting for the spirits and other paranormal things experienced by the visitors since ages. It is also believed that Transylvania is geographically located on one of the earth’s most powerful magnetic field zones, leading to experiences of extra-sensory nature. Now, this place offers the perfect setting for dwelling vampires and that is what Stoker did! The castle in epic Dracula very closely resembles this palace.

Given their ghastly past and deep connection to Dracula, tourists arrive at these castles in Transylvania to experience what inspired Stoker to pen an epic of huge caliber. Every year, Halloween tours are also organized across these sites associated with Dracula, and this less visited part of Europe is throbbing with tourists during this time of the year. So, if you are that brave-heart and ready to experience the surreal, the super-natural, you better set out for this adventure, but be sure to come back safe and un-possessed!

Deepti Ahuja Balani

People professionally know me as a copy editor, correspondent and a writer, but writing is something I do even when I am not professionally engaged. I like to visit new places, explore, experience different cultures and share my perspective through words. Writing for food, travel and books is something that comes naturally, and is close to my heart.