BlogIt’s October, a month full of spooky stories of undead villains, haunted castles, and battles between good and evil. And the story of Dracula has all of that, for sure! Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of the most famous stories ever written in English, and one of the most-often told.
Birthplace of Vlad III, Sighișoara, Romania
His house, in the old town center, is now a restaurant and tourist attraction, dedicated as much to the undead myth as the brutal ruler.
Curtea Veche, Vlad’s Royal Residence, Bucharest, Romania
Vlad III joined the Order of the Dragon (Dracul in medieval Romanian), a Christian order of knights sworn to fight Muslims, and took on the name “Dragul” or “Dracul”, which the creative Bram Stoker turned into “Dracula”.
He earned his other nickname, the “Impaler” because he decapitated diplomats and citizens and soldiers alike, and stuck their heads on pikes as warnings to his enemies. Even before his death, the legend of Vlad the Impaler spread throughout Europe. Rumored to have impaled tens of thousands, his story was told in some of the earliest printed literature.
While Vlad was ruler over Wallachia, he built a fortress, Curtea Veche, in Bucharest, to defend his northern border from Hungary and his southern border from the Ottomans. He was the first of many rulers to recognize Bucharest’s strategic position, and it eventually became the country’s capital.
Curtea Veche has fallen into disrepair, but there is a large bust of Vlad III watching over his castle, and his lands.
Dracula’s Castle (Bran Castle), Bran, Romania
While this castle was a fortress rather than a palace, Vlad did stay here a few times both as a ruler and as a soldier seeking to protect and then restore his fiefdom.
Another View
This castle, on the border between Wallachia and Transylvania, serves as an excellent base for planned invasions into new territory, and a great fortress for defending against invasion.
Courtyard
The grounds of the castle were in a prime defensive location, so leaders have had forts here for more than eleven hundred years. One fortress was razed to the ground by Genghis Khan’s invaders. More recently, the castle was an official royal residence for the short-lived royal family of Romania after World War I.
These days, the house is available to visit, but don’t expect to learn a lot about the written character of Dracula; the castle was not ever seen by Bram Stoker, nor was it an inspiration for the castle in the book. Descriptions of Dracula’s castle are entirely different from the actual castle.
Corvin Castle, Hunedoara, Romania
Wallachia in Vlad’s time was tumultuous and violent. Leaders seized power, and family members fought each other to the death for the right to rule. After Vlad’s father and brother died, a cousin took power. Vlad overthrew the cousin who took control, and then spent the rest of his life as ruler, a prisoner, or soldier.
After being deposed, Vlad was held for about a decade at Corvin Castle. The Castle is one of the largest in Europe, but the current castle probably doesn’t resemble the original, as reconstruction has been whimsical and not followed historical records.
Torture Room
The castle was a typical Gothic structure, with tall towers, colorful roofs, many courtyards, and plenty of place for a political prisoner. It even included a torture room, which may have been known to Vlad during the time he was there.
Torture was unfortunately common in medieval times, as a way of punishing people, extracting information, and seeking vengeance. The castle has an exhibition on torture, to help us understand what happened, and hopefully help us be more kind to one another.
Snagov Monastery, Bucharest, Romania
According to legend, after Vlad died in battle in late 1466 or early 1467, and was buried at Snagov Monastery in Bucharest. While there is no actual proof, the local government loves to encourage the idea, and promotes tourism to the small island.
Vlad III was a brutal leader, but he is remembered as a hero of Romania for protecting the homeland at any cost against the Ottoman invaders, who conquered so much of Europe during the 1400s.
Vlad Dracul may not have been an undead vampire, but it’s certain his legend will live on in eternity.
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